3 - Sunday, June 3, 1990 - North Shore News Miarina arson victims file suit SEVEN PEOPLE TAKE MANAGER, GWNER TO COURT TO RECOVER $630,833 SEVEN PEOPLE who lost property and personal belongings when an arson fire hit North Vancouver’s Lynnwood Marina on New Year’s Eve have filed suit in B.C. Supreme Court in an attempt to recover losses totalling $630,833. By MICHAEL BECKER The court action was filed Ocean tire dumping rejected A WEST Vancouver com- pany’s scheme to dump bundles of used tires into unspecified areas of B.C. coastal waters has been re- jected by Environment Canada. By MICHAEL BECKER News Reporter Sea Island Marine Ltd. applied March 5 for the right to dump the tires for a year. According to Colin Wykes, director of the Environment Canada contaminants and assess- ment branch, the company pro- posed to bundle the rubber into 80-tire units. The application call- ed for the dumping of up to 200,000 cubic feet of tires once or twice a month. According to Wykes, the bid was turned down for several reasons. Said Wykes, ‘‘There are alter- native disposal options that pres- ently exist in B.C. There are recycling options. They can be us- ed for retread tires. They can be used for fuel in cement kilns if they’re chipped up. They are used in paving materials and they are used for rubber mats. We also know that the B.C. government will soon be looking at recycling options from the private sector.” Wykes added that the Depart- ment of Fisheries and Oceans has not identified a need for the con- struction of artificial reefs along the West Coast. Said Wykes, ‘‘(Artificial) reefs are more commonly in use where there is flat bottom devoid of nat- ural reefs. And tires are embedded in concrete which is an expensive and labor-intensive way to make reefs.”’ The Sea Island Marine Ltd. ap- plication was the first of its kind considered by the local Environ- ment Canada office. Added Wykes, ‘‘Nobody is do- ing this in Canada, period.”’ Business .............. 43 Classified Ads..........44 Cocktaiis & Caviar......22 Comies................36 Fashion ...........--.-. 13 lifestyles..............33 Spiritually Speaking. ....32 Travel ............62+. 37 Vintage Years..........17 What's Going On........21 Secund Class Registration Number 3885 earlier this month against Lynn- wood Industrial Estates, the com- pany that operates the marina, and marina manager Gerry Blair. The statement of claim filed on behalf of the arson victims alleges that Lynnwood Industrial Estates was negligent with regard to the installation and maintenance of firefighting equipment and security measures at the marina. The claim also alleges Blair was obliged to install operable firefighting equipment at the marina as well as ensure only authorized parties had access to the marina. In an earlier News story, Blair rejected liability, saying the fire was caused by an arsonist. He also said that fire extinguishers near the scene of the boat blaze were in working order at the time of the fire. He also said security to the marina floats was comprumised on the night of the fire by people jamming a gate open for visitors. Fire victims David Clemont and S. Devi Naidu, who lived aboard a 40-foot cruiser at the marina, are claiming personal property losses of $60,000. Clemont is claiming the replacement cost of his cruiser, Bullfrog, at $325,000. Harold ‘‘Robbie’’ Robinson, who lived aboard the houseboat Truant along with Charles ‘*Dick’’ of personal property. Pettet is claiming $10,578 for loss of personal property and $120,000 for replacement cost of the Truant. The claim for replacement cost of Steve Mitchell’s 28-foot Tollycraft cruiser, Marleigh, is listed at $95,000. Richard Brown, the owner of a 32-foot motor yacht, Raven II, is claiming $9,655 Pettet, is claiming $10,600 for loss for repair costs to his vessel. — NEWS photo Neil Lucente THE ROKKO San, a 301-rzetre long bulk carrier, came in for emcvrgency repairs this week at Versatile Pacific Shipyards’ North Vancouver facility. The Rokko San is the targest vessel ever to be repaired at Versatile North Vancouver. Union slams Victoria for awarding $20m ferry contract to German firm THE PRESIDENT of the union association that repre- sents all B.C. shipyard workers has criticized the B.C. Ferry Corp. (BCFC) and the provincial government for awarding a $20-million ferry propulsion system contract to a European firm. And Metal Trades Council president Ron Ferguson now thinks the two new super ferries the BCFC has put out to public tender will also be awarded to a European shipyard. Meanwhile, Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc. (VPSI) chief ex- ecutive officer Peter Quinn an- nounced this week that his firm wiil bid on the super ferry con- tract but not on a smaller ferry contract which the BCFC has also put to tender. On May 2 the BCFC tendered contracts for two new 470-vehicle super ferries. The bids on the two vessels close on June 28. But the BCFC awarded the contract for the vessels’ propul- sion systems to 2 West German firm before any B.C. companies had a chance to bid on the con- tract. “It appears to me that they're going to build those ferries overseas,’’ said Ferguson. “*They’re going to build those super ferries in Europe...to me it stinks to high heaven.’* After the BCFC awarded West German engine builder MAN- B&W Diesel GmbH the contract to build the propulsion system, Doug Cullen, president of Van- couver’s Cullen Canadian Inc., petitioned the B.C. Supreme Court to quash the deal. Cullen argued that BCFC was required to adhere to provincial Ferry Corp. Act terms that call for public tendering on capital contracts for the construction, repair or modification of ferries. Cuilen is the B.C. representa- tive for marine diesel engines built by OY Wartsila AB of By SURJ RATTAN News Reporter Finland. The company claims its price for engines was $2 million cheaper than MAN’s. a wat N ‘ But BCFC spokesman Erin Caldwell said the issue of the propulsion system contract ‘twas a separate matter altogether.’’ She added that she could not comment further because the issue is still before the courts. Ferguson also criticized the eight-week bidding period on the new super ferries contract, ad- ding ‘‘it seems a rather restrictive period when one considers the vessels have been on the go for “*They’re going to build those super ferries in Europe ... to me it stinks to high heaven.’’ — Metal Trades Council president Ron Ferguson But earlier this month, B.C. Supreme Court Justice William H. Davies rejected Cullen’s argument, ruling that BCFC was not required to put the propul- sion system contract out to public tender. Justice Davies ruled that the supply of engines is neither new construction nor modification and is therefore not covered by the tendering requirement. But Ferguson disagreed with the court’s ruling and said BCFC general manager Rod Morrison should know the engines for the two new super ferries are also new capital projects. “Surely a man of Mr. Mor- rison’s experience and knowledge knows you don’t buy engines to specifications of a new vessel and not know you are going to build a vessel,’’ said Ferguson. more than a year.”” The BCFC approved the con- tract for the initial concept and preliminary design of the new ferries last August. The vessels are expected to be completed by the summer of 1992. Ferguson said he does not care which shipyard is awarded the contract to build the two super ferries as long as it is a B.C. shipyard, He aiso said it would be ‘‘im- possible’’ for any B.C. shipyard to have the two vessels built by the summer of 1992, particularly in light of the recent downgrading of VPSI’s North Vancouver yard to a repair facili- y. ‘Delivery by summer 1992 of both vessels is impossible for B.C. yards as the only yard capable of building vessels that size is VPSi (Victoria) now that they have in effect closed down VPSI (North Vancouver),”’ said Ferguson. But Quinn said the company plans to submit bids for the two super ferries as well as for the contract for the lifting of the Queen of Burnaby. But VPSI has decided it will not seck the con- tract for the second of two 85- vehicle ferries. The contract for the first of the two 85-vehicle ferries was award- ed earlier this month to North Vancouver-based Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. “We have given the matter (85-vehicle ferry contract) careful consideration and indeed had confirmed bonding,’’ said Quinn. **However, based on (BCFC's) worldwide solicitation of bids on May 4 for June 28 for the large ferries, we have decided that our resources should be devoted to winning the contracts for the Queen of Burnaby lift and the two super ferries.’’ Quinn said he is confident that VPSI can build the two large vessels at its Victoria shipyard because the company had install- ed new equipment in anticipation of building the $680-million Polar Class 8 icebreaker. The Polar 8 contract was cancelled by the federal government in Febru- ary. *‘Having prepared rigorously for the construction of the Polar ‘8, with state-of-the-art techno- logy and management practices, we are confident of a full response to BCFC requirements and expectations for the provi- sion of two super ferries,’’ said Quinn. “Where B.C. can compete with the world in designing, pro- curing and construction, the work can all be done in B.C,’’ he added.