"WEDNESDAY
June 21, 1995

# Around Town..........16
@ Classifieds... 37
BH Collins. seeeeee D
8 Day in Court. 10
Fashion.............0.0......30
@ Inside Stories..........15
B Insights. nnn
BEM aiIDOX. cee B
. ® N. Shore Alert...
a Shore Shots..............25
@ Sunshine Girl.

& Crossword

a Table Hopping...
@ TY Listings...................28
"8 Wright. 6

Nj

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Weather

Thursday, Friday: Mainly sunny,
Highs 25°C. lows 12°C.

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

A THREE-YEAR Meccano hobby project was proudly displayed last week by the
father. and son team of Bob and Grant Newsham of North Vancouver. The crane
weighs 82 kg (180 Ibs.). The crane was included in a display of the Newshams’ .
Meccano projects at Capilano Mail.

gS The art of making
great lemonade:
8 Wining and dining

through B.C.: 18

sports
w Former golf pro
leads Ontario:

‘Bi Red Sox Duplissie
2nd in contest:

12

12

Steak * Seafood » Salad

t PURCHASE STEAM, SEAFOOD ae
| OMICHEN ENTREE & ADD-ON ALL

L You Call EAT SALAD BAR FOR |
99% veh this b

20°

MP White blamed for LSLAP !oss

MONEY WON’T be saved aru. the
North Shore’s poor will lose legal ser-
vices, warn law students rejected by
North Vancouver MP Ted White for a
summer job grant on advice of a citi-
zens’ committee.

By lan Noble
News Reporter

“By denying funding to our program, Mr.
White is not only removing a much-needed ser-
vice from the community, but is also creating a
higher cost to the taxpayer.” said representa-
tives of the Law. Students
Program (LSLAP).

. They cited savings to an overburdened legal
aid system and court costs in their cost-saving
pitch.

For North Shore Community Services exec-
utive director Kim Collett, the loss of the pro-
gram means her clients — who are low-income
earners, the disabled or elderly — will have

* more difficulty obtaining legal advice.

‘The LSLAP has provided for over a decade
fre2 legal advice and low-cost divorces on the

Legal Advice -

North Shore to those who cannot afford a
lawyer.

Last summer, a law student handled 228
files on the North Shore. Because of the heavy
caseload the LSLAP applied for two law stu-

dents to work on the North Shore this summer,

- said LSLAP public relations officer Jennifer

Johnston.

But a citizens’ committee White appointed
to approve or reject projects for a federal sum-
mer jobs program in his riding rejected the pro-
gram’s application for a $6,000 grant.

On May 13, the grants committee approved
$106,700 in grants of a $155.000 grants budget
for North Vancouver.

While White said ina May 31 News column ,

that “during the assessment process the group
inadvertently saved taxpayers almost $47,000."
Tania Lite, a project officer for the Summer
Career Placements Program, said taxpayers
won't save one shiny red cent.

The money will still be used in other places,
she sitid.

“Te stays in the program. * Little said. “It just

doesn't stay in North Vancouver.”
So instead of creating u student legal advice
position in North Vancouver, a similar position

Ee SIN =

H SHORE SIN

“to endorse it,”

was created somewhere else, Little said.
And that will create a dilemma for clients of
the North Shore's Community Law Office,

which is operated by North Shore Community

Services, said Collett.

Usually, cases that can’t be handled by the
legal aid office are referred to student lawyers.

But without student lawyers on the North.
Shore, some clients cannot get advice locally.
They must travel to East Vancouver or the West
End to talk to a student lawyer.

For elderly or disabled clients, that's
cult, said Collett.

“They basically are being denied accessibil-
ity to services,” she said.

White said the committee rejected the
LSLAP’s application because it believed the
North Shore already had enough taxpayer-
funded legal aid.

White, however, thought that in terms of the
Canadian Job Strategies goal: of providing
career-oriented positions, the law-student jobs
were appropriate.

“EL was surprised the commitce decided not
he said.

But he added, “f'm simply nat going to rub-
ber stamp these grants,” he said. “Its not my
money.”

Final approval of White’s recommendations
rests with the federal government.

diffi-

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