| Cove’s government dock | poses safety problems APPROXIMATELY 50 BOATS descended on the Deep Cove government dock on Saturday morning during a staged event to demonstrate what the morning commute could Jook like after Sept. 30. Currently the boat commuters, Indian Arm property owners who live without road access, use moorage faciiities at Seycove Marina in Deep Cove. But the marina owner, K.J. Kim, has indicated that commuter leases on meoorage will not be granted as of the beginning of Oc- tober. Saturday’s docking rehearsal was organized by the Indian Arm Ratepayers Association (IARA) to demonstrate to North Vancouver District how ineffectual the pres- ent government dock at Deep Cove is for the commuiter’s needs. it was obvious from the rehear- sal that safety problems would arise if the present dock facilities are all that is available. “Trying to unload a family across four or five boats is quite unsafe,” said LARA President Det Schmidt. ‘“‘And the wave condi- - tions out there were nothing like the chop during winter.” The owner of Seycove Marina is terminating commuter leases for a number of reasons. Negative publicity last year regarding the condition of the marina has prompted Kim’s insurance agency to reassess his policy. “The indian Arn commuters By A.P. McCredie News Reporter represent 25% of our business, but most of our energies are spent dealing with problems arising from commuter travel,’’ Kim said. “My insurance company is pressuring me to do something about them.”’ He clairns that many of the commuters disobey marina rules by speeding, drinking in the marina, and unsafely overloading their dDoats with building materials used to renovate their homes. He admits that the marina is in need of repair, but he says his at- tempts at raising the capital have been thwarted by North Van- couver District. “EF apprescuce the disifict wit! a pian of developing 10 single- family houses on my parcel of land,"’ said Kim, ‘‘but my zoning application was denied.’’ The !7 acres Kim owns are zoned as park and recreation, while his water lot is zoned as res- idential. The marina operator was hoping to develop the land and tefurbish his business into a first-rate marina. Earlier in the year Kim installed Wednesday, August 12, 1992 - North Shore News - 3 indian Arm residents stage boat commute we ae: NEWS photo Mike Wakefield INDIAN ARM residents converged on the Deep Cove government dock Saturday te demonstrate their need for adequate moorage facilities for the upcoming winter. a new steel breakwater scow at a cost of $120,000. The municipality approached Kim with a plan to appease the commuters, but Kim = says ir amounted to nothing more than a land grab. “They (the district) want to take over our land and water lot to serve a special interest,’?’ Kim said. ‘‘We feel abused by both sides."* While Kim continues to stick to the Sept. 30 deadline, he says he is NEWS photo Cindy Goodman A MOTOR vehicle accident Friday afternoon atong Highway 99 north of Horseshoe Bay caused exteiisive damage to this Toyota. The driver said at the scene that she did not remember what had caused the accident. No other details were avaiiable. Budget Beaters & Business @ Ciassified Ads... (@ Doug Collins ® Editorial Page & Frugai Gourmet i@ Bob Hunter Index ® Inquiring Reporter......42 & Lifestyles @ Mailbox ... @Tv Listings What's Going On Printed on 10% recycled newsprint Weather Today, mostly sunny. Highs 26-30°C. Thursday, mostly sunny. Low i4°C, High 25°C. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238 planning to approach council with a plan that involves leasing close to three acres of his land to the district at a $1 a year so that the commuters will have a place to develop a dock. But according to IARA vice- president’ Henry Hightower, the site in question, an old quarry site, would require much work to make it an acceptable and safe moorage site. A service road from Indian Arm Road would have to be built, along with extensive WV man breakwalls along the shoreline. Hightower said that the district has looked at alternative sites for a commuter marina, including an area south of the canoe rental operation in Deep Cove and at the North end of Cates Park. District representatives were unavailable for comment to press time. Meanwhile marina owner Kim will be presenting his new plan to North Vancouver District council on Monday, Aug. 24. swims to raise search funds THE SEARCH for Michael Dunahee may get an added boost from a West Van man who will take to the waters at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 15, in a 24-hour non-stop swimathon at the West Vancouver Aquatic Centre. Michael Henderson, 30, plans to raise funds to assist in the con- tinuing search for the boy who went missing from a Victoria-area playground in March, 1991. Henderson, who immigrated with his wife and three children from Northern Ireland fast Febru- ary, was in Vancouver on an ex- tended vacation at the time of Dunahee's abduction. “at that time | was keen to do something but we had to return to Ireland to emigrate so we ran out of time,** said Henderson. After returning to Vancouver last February, Henderson came up with the idea of a swimathon. *} couldn’t run for 24 hours but I could probably swim.’’ he said. ‘‘I’m not a competitive speed swimmer, but I’m certainly com- fortable in the water.” After meeting with the Dunahee family in Victoria to gain their support, Henderson contacted Jill Johnson, facility supervisor at the aquatic centre, who gave him the go-ahead. “It’s going to be quite fun. We’re looking forward to it,’’ said Johnson. “We nornially close at 8 p.m. on that day but our lifeguards have all volunteered to go throughout the night.”’ A training poof will be drained to allow room for the 16 lifeguards to sleep at the aquatic centre between shifts. in preparation, Henderson, who will wear a wet suit on the day of the event, swims one to two hours every evening at the West Van Aquatic Centre. “Being in the water for any length of time, regardless of how warm it is, is very draining,”’ said By Layne Christensen Contributing SVriter Johnson. She said the wet suit will be necessary to regulate Hender- son’s body temperature. Henderson has also been busy collecting pledges for the swimathon, : A funding goal of $25,000 has been set, ‘‘but we're plucking that figure out -of the air,’’ said Henderson. So far, pledges and donations have been just ‘“‘trickling in’’ to the Michael Dunahee Search Cen- ‘tre in Victoria. But Henderson is banking on increased support from B.C. businesses and individ- uals as the day of the swimathon approaches. “We really need to see the gen- erosity of the Vancouver people,’’ he said. ‘‘People don’t need to dig very deeply into their pockets to make this thing really worth- while.’’ The proceeds from the swimathon will be used to print posters of an age-enhanced photograph cf Michael Dunahee which will be distributed across North America. Henderson’s wife, Jennifer, said she’s proud of her husband’s ini- tiative. ‘*He’s just a regular guy but he wants to do this,”’ she said. ‘‘He has three children of his own and he has some idea of what it must feel like to have a child go miss- ing.”’ Pledge forms are available from the West Vancouver Aquatic Cen- tre.