row seat in Map manning s Stornoway cash out “It ‘was a very rousing oment,” remembers Ryan. “The charter was produced at a- inner, and. Preston Manning said it needed a certain number f signatures: a ‘There. was: such enthusiasm o sign; the various tables started idding: money on who would 5 the 10th anniver- ’s founding has adowed by. - the nt ‘fallout over reports of Preston. Manning’s' spending . abits. — - a - The: leader of the Reform Party of Canada came under fire ast week when 2 report from the National ‘Capital Commission NCC) ‘indicated more than 100,000. was spent refurbishing tornoway, the official residence f the leader of the opposition. But Ryan ‘defended Manning, tating that thie NCC spent the money of its own ccord and focused on the ideals that founded the arty 10 years ago.. ~. “All of us that artended that meeting (in 1987) Pumpkin patch kid WEE Mikaila begins ner determined bid to catch sight of the Great Pumpkin by grabbing a front- lewood Farm’s pumpkin patch. Mother Donna Johnson lends encouragement. my NORTH Van Reform MP Ted White said Reformers will mark the 10th anniversary of the party’s founding in the spring. lay defended by Reformer thing new was needed,” said Ryan, “Ten years from nothing to Official Opposition is certain- ly quite a political feat.” But local reaction to the Stornoway fiasco continues to be less than sympathetic. “I just find it very ironic how people change when positions change,” said Bob Conway, owner of North Vancouver’s OK Tire Centre. “Politics is just such a scam.” . The auto servicing centre has prominently displayed a sign that reads: “Please Preston say it ain’t so.” * Conway said reaction to the sign has consisted of a few chuckles from clients. “I have to put something about the Canucks up next. Something about what a mess, no pun intended, the Canucks are, I’m just not sure about the exact wording yet,” said Conway. North Vancouver Reform MP Ted White said the party isn’t celebrating the anniversary until its poli- cy convention next May. “The logistics of arranging something for all the were very concerned about Canada ... and feltscme- members I think was just too much,” said White. NEWS photo Paul McGrath Friday, October 31, 1997 — North Shore News — 3 ec election Kkertutt in West Van Returning officer outlines a mess in WV-Sunshine Coast By lan Noble News Reporter ian@nsnews.com PANDEMONIUM reigned at the West Vancouver- Sunshine Coast riding office on federal election day thanks partially to Ottawa’s ' ignorance of B.C., said the riding’s returning officer. In a report to Chief Electoral Officer Jean Pierre Kingsley in Ottawa, riding returning officer Joanne North told how the central bureaucracy’s policies, procedures and inadequate equipment made the local team’s efforts for the June 2 election less efficient. In the report, North cited “sever- al misunderstandings” due to unilin- gual English-speaking westerners dealing with French-first speaking. staff. “Ottawa staff,” said North, “clearly had no knowledge of the rid- ing or the province.” In the I1-page report, North pep- pered Kingsley with 45 recommenda- tions to make sure future elections in the riding go more smoothly. She won't talk to the media about the report, although she did tell the News: “I found the enumeration ter- ribly frustrating.” Elections Canada, with the chief electoral officer at the top, carries out the planning, organization, direction and monitoring of federal elections. North’s job as returning officer was to supervise voter registration and election processes in the riding. North said delayed approval from Ottawa for high rents in West Vancouer combined with limited space availability in the low-vacancy municiy ‘ity resulted in the campaign team losing its first choice for accom- modation. “Office rental was unduly time- consuming,” she said. According to North, following orders to sct up the enumeration office in one day caused problems that could not be overcome. She added the arrival of equip- ment, boxes of material, installers and instructors was a nightmare. “Thank heavens the furniture had been sneaked into the office on the Friday before in spite of EC (Elections Cartada) express directions not to do so,” she said. North said some election workers were grossly underpaid and pay rates were considerably less than the provincial elections. In addition, Ortawa’s budgeted hours for staff were “way out of line.” For example, Ortawa budgeted 140 hours for the automation co-ordina- tor position but the time required for the work was 290 hours. Meanwhile, the problems with the voters list computer system began with the late delivery of poor quality machines and only got worse, said North. For computer problems, the “help” desk in Ottawa provided answers that only created more prob- lems, said North. North said Ottawa staff were obviously not prepared when the chief electoral officer overruled a six- - month provision in the Canada Elections Act “allowing for an imme- diate election following the disastrous enumeration of voters.” She added: “The Operations Support Network was supposed to be available to answer questions but more often than not we were put on hold, listening to music when six people wanted our attention...” North said the West Vancouver office received many phone calls deal- ing with the Greater Vancouver area. “The attitude (in Ottawa) seemed to be ‘If it’s in the West, phone West Vancouver,” North said, “This cul- minated on election day when the Operations Support Network referred voters asking ‘Where do I vote’ fom all over the province to West Vancouver and for up to five hours the phones rang non-stop as the skeleton staff raced from desk to desk attempting to answer and redi- rect (the calls). Pandemonium reigned,” North emphasized. Elections Canada spokesman John Enright said his organization has to go through 301 returning offi- cers’ reports and their recommenda- tions. ; He called it a “massive review exercise” that will take a few more months to complete. “We take very much to heart their recommendations with respect to - improving the process. “But to comment on one report without having the perspective of the whole right now is premature,” Enright said. | Driver’s truck spun and hit ferry worker Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. There was also Thompson said to him was, “It was not her mum fine. :- "From page Judge Grandison said Thompson was not | speeding, but was driving too fast on the wet highway in heavy traffic. “Said Thompson, “I know it was my fault ... T guess I must have been going too fast.” She said the accident would have happened even if she had been going as slow as 20 km-h instead of a speed close to the posted highway t. Replied Grandison, “I don’t believe that for one minute.” . -In the judge’s written decision, he went over the events of that April 5, 1996, Good Friday morning on the Upper Levels Highway near the Caulfeild Drive exit ramp. =. Thompson was driving on the wet highway i ina Ford Bronco at 90 km-h in the rain. While - travelling west, Thompson passed or could sce four caution signs relating to the approaching - Weaving ferry traffic congestion. The two ferry traffic workers wore orange reflective traffic control vests and white hel- mets. A short distance past the workers, traffic was stopped in a line of several hundred vehi- cles waiting to board ferries. Thompson’s Bronco went out of control after apparently braking. The truck spun around and went from the Icft to the night lane. The back of the truck hit the ferry work- ers, sending one flying about 4.5 metres (10 to 15 feet) in the air. The surviving ferry worker was not seriously injured. The radio in Thompson’s truck was playing at a “blaring loud” level and there was partial- ly eaten food in the vehicle, according to wit- nesses. Thompson told police she had finished eating a “McDonald's.” West Vancouver Pofice Detective David testified that the first thing fault, she was cut off.” : Thompson testified that she was driving to Horseshoe Bay to pick up her boyfriend. She said she slammed on her brakes hard, causing her truck to spin after a dark truck cut in front of her vehicle. The judge rejected Thompson’s defence that the accident was unavoidable because of Thompson’s truck being cut off by another vehicle. Crown lawyer Mark Levitz noted that the conviction was the fourth Motor Vehicle Act infraction in five years on Thompson’s driving record. She previously had two speeding tick- ets and one driving without insurance infrac- tion. Levitz called for a fine and driver's licence suspension for the offence which he described as being inadvertent negligence. Defence lawyer Giles asked for the mini- Levitz gave the judge victim impact state- ments from Wiedeman’s parents. Wiedeman’s father said his world was very sad now, and Wiedeman’s mother said she was going through a mother’s worst nighcmare. Wiedemian’s mother stated she felt sorry for Thompson and hoped Thompson could put the accident behind her and go on with her life. Defence lawyer Giles tried to stop the judge from reading the victim impact statements. “I think chey are inflammatory and I don’t see how they can help the court,” said Giles. Giles said his client worked at a property management firm and now had considerable legal fees as a result of the trial. shompson has just bought a condo in West Vancouver and also has a mortgage. Grandison gave Thompson eight months to pay the fine.