MeTV subscription drive in high gear Robert Galster News Reporter robert@nsnews.com MANY North Shore resi- dents are taking a dim vie of Rogers Cablesystems’ attempt to coax customers to subscribe to the compa- ny’s new specialty cisannels package. The North Shore version of the McTV package is made up of 14 channels which have been part of a free preview since last October. The History Channel, Golf “It’s strictly black- mail... ’m capable of putting in a dish and I will. To me it’s a matter of principle.” — West Vancouver resident Jack Howard Television, Home and Garder: and Space Channel are all part of the package currently being offered for $5.99 plus tax per month. The additional fee would raise the cost of an average cablevision package ro approximately $31.53 per month. Rogers spokesman = Sandra Rybchinsky said the free preview officially ended on Jan. 17. But keen television watchers will notice they are still available. “The channels are going to be available und the filtering system takes effect,” said Rybchinsky. However, because the technolo- py Rogers is using requires the company’s technicians to physically visit and install the filters at every household optioning our of the package, it may be several months before the channels are actually blocked out. In the meantime, the cable provider wil do its best to sway those not yer sold on the concept. “It's (the preview) over, we'll begin marketing the product and be more aggres i tling the product,” said Ri Rogers has 600,000 customers in the Lower Mainland, 62,000 of which are on the North Shore. Rvbchinsky said the company won't have any specific figures on the number of people subscribing to the MecTV package until February, but he added that carly indications appear positive. “We are very pleased with the response to date,” said Rybchinsky. “We think most people will sign up now.” One sales tool Rogers marketer: are using t0 win over more cus- tomers is exempting those who take the new package from a planned rate increase of $2.04 that is scheduled to take effecr i March. The fee increase exemption for subscribers of MeTV will be in effect through February 1999, “It’s strictly blackmail,” said Jack Howard, a West Vancouver resident. “I am_ mad as can be and frankly I’ve spoken with three peo- ple in West Vancouver and they are all livid.” Howard, who spends about 25 hours per week watching televi- sion, is taking his anger a step fur- ther and is picking over his options, “I'm capable of purring in a dish and I will. To me it’s a matter of principle,” said Howard. o date, Howard has not received any calls from Rogers mar- keters, bur many others have. Said North Vancouver’s Steve Jones, 36, of the offer presented to him by a Rogers telemarketer last week: “It was fike blackmail. You realize how cheap that is, it’s sleazy.” Jones is all the more incensed because he wasn’t particularly taken with the new channels and feels he is being penalized ror it. I didn’t really care for them,” said Jones. Sunday, January 25, 1998 — North Shore News — 3 y eR ; Close call WITHOUT an ice storm in sight, this big tree came down anyway on Friday on Lonsdale Avenue at 21st Street. No one was injured although a Honda Civic (inset) travelling north and two mail boxes were crushed. Another car travelling south was also hit by the tree. Accident in roped-off area From page 1 jump on the Cut when he was injured, resulting in Kwan becoming a paraplegic Kwan said the negligence of Grouse or its employ- ces caused the injuries because, among other reasons @ they failed to provide appropriate monitoring of ski runs; @ they failed to take reasonable measures so alert snowboarders to dangerous areas of the ski run; & they permitted snowboarding in areas they knew or ought to have known constituted a danger; allowed snowboarders to enter and use areas j run which had been roped off and which they knew or ought to have known were dangerous; @ they failed to warn snowboarders of dangerous snow and ice conditions. In the statement of claim, Kwan said he continues to suffer because of the accident and is no longer able to participate in recreational, social, employment and athletic activities to the extent he did before the acci- dent. He will continue to have hospital, medical and rehabilitation expens Kwan’s family members, who are also plaintiffs in the suit, say they have suffered a loss of care and com- panionship due to Kwan’s ac Driving schools use of rec centre lot discouraged Robert Gaister News Reporter robert@nsnews.com SOME users of a parking lot in North Vancouver City are just not getting along. The Lonsdale Recreation entre’s lot at the corner of sdale and 23rd is used primarily sitors to the facility. From time to time driving instructors like to use it for their stu- dents to practice in. Peter Leeds isa frequent visitor to the centre. He sees the nwo uses as conflicting. Last week the situation came to a head. “There was a gap beside my vehi- cle and a student driver was trying to pull into it,” said Leeds. “And [ took exception to it.” The vehicle Leeds had a problem with was from the North Shore Driving School, bur many other schools also use the lot. “To me that parking lot is for people who use the rec centre not for people learning to drive,” he said. It’s nor just that Leeds is posses- sive about the lot he uses. He sees it as more of a satety issue. “There’s a great possibility a child could be hit,” he said. But North Shore Driving School owner Byron Briton said the con- cerns are unfounded. “Sometimes it’s a good place to do some backing if it’s not busy,” said Briton. “We would never do that if there's a lor of people there.” To bolster his case Briton added that in 40 years of using the lot, the school’s vehicles have never been involved in an accident there. Lecds initially took his concerns to the centre ¢an do about it t parking lot,” said Leeds. Recreation Gary Young agree: said it is the commission’s policy to discourage driving using the lot. parking ots,” said Young. “And we've written letters to the driving schools and asked them not to do it.” , but said they tisfaction. “They said there’s nothing they ause¢ it’s a public Nor should they be able to do athing about it, according to one North Vancouver City councillor. “People gotta learn how to park somewhere,” said Coun. Darrell Mussatto. “f wouldn’t want them to ce ina school parking lor.” However, North Vancouver Commission director with Leeds and chools from “We have encountered a couple uations where driving schools ng recreation centre The Kwans are asking for general and special dam- ages and court costs. The exact damages are not con- tained in the statement of claim and the Kwans? Toronto lawyer would not discuss the case with the News. Grouse Mountain president Stuart McLaughlin said Kwan’s mishap was a case of a person snow- boarding in a closed area and injuring himselt. Because of the lawsuit, McLaughlin said there are limits to whar he can say about the case. He said that whether there were other skiers or snowboarders using the closed area is a question that is better left to the lawyers. Speaking generally about lawsuits against ski areas, MeLaughlin said the world is becoming more liti- gious and people “try to take a run at people they think have money to pay out claims.” ; He said there was a time when the lawsuits were becoming more frequent. But he added the courts have looked at legal suits against ski areas and other property owners with more scrutiny and lawyers are being more cautious about advancing claims, so McLaughlin believes such lawsuits are declining. “There are some inherent risks in the sport but this is a case where he was in a closed area so no, we don’t have situations like this very often,” said McLaughlin, referring to the Kwan case. NEWS phato Mike Waketicid AS a reguiar user of the Lonsdale Recreation Centre, Peter Leeds would fee! a lot safer if driving instructors stopped using the facility’s parking lot as a training ground for their students.