Versatile’s fate hinges on the future of B.C. Ferries ARTHUR McLAREN'S first assignment for W.A.C. Bennett’s navy arrived as an afterthought. The premier and his minister Phil Gaglardi had decided the prototype vessel for the British Columbia ferries would be M. V. Coho, then travelling from Seattle to Port Angeles and across the Strait to Victoria. Her architect, Phillip F. Spaulding of Seattle was con- tracted to design two ships for British Columbia. At the last minute, a wise political hand sug- gested that some B.C. content was advisable. McLaren’s Allied Shipbuilders went into partnership with Spaulding. These names are proudly displayed throughout the fleet. Ship after ship was produc- ed to appease the voracious ap- petite of ‘‘The Dogwood Fleet.” Now, 31 years later, the first major sub-contract for B.C. Fer- ries’ $130-million superships was recently awarded to Allied Ship- builders of North Vancouver, and Art McLaren’s smiling personage was displayed in the newspaper. Since my appointment last year to the British Columbia Ferry Corp. Board of Directors, writing about the fleet has become un- comfortable. Readers must be wary of bias. Fellow board “members and the executive ought not to feel conversations are ex- posed. But there is an extraordinary story unfolding in public view. The largest part of the tale is here in North Vancouver. To begin, we go back to the heady days when a succession of federal political extravaganzas celebrated everything that was go- ing to be done to save the West Coast shipbuilding industry. (No one here asked to be ‘‘saved.”’ The suggestion was that the wholesale corruption in Quebec and favoritism to the Meritimes might be tempered by a few tokens to the west.) But they came anyway to hold their expensive ribbon cuttings and PR blitzes. Government jets swarmed into the airport, carrying the likes of the Prime Minister, Pat Carney, John Crosbie and Mary Collins to advise that we were ‘‘saved,”’ The subject was the Polar 8 icebreaker. This one enormous contract was thought at the time to be the only hope for Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc., the A Place To Go When You're Pregnant And Need Support: | GARTHRIGHT | ecall 987-7313 » Free Pregnancy Test + 229 Lonsdaie tn Vancouver Call Worth Vancouver 687-7223 Gary Bannerman OPEN LINES amalgam of the once proud enterprises of Burrard Drydock, Yarrows and Victoria Machinery Depot. The day they killed that project, Versatile should have died. The corporation has lurched from transfusion to transfusion ever since, in search of a miracle. We now are beginning a new story in the annals of B.C.’s homegrown shipping fleet. And the skipper is a gritty grand- mother, Rita Johnston. She has decreed that the ships wil! be Built ‘on time, on budget and in Brit- ish Columbia.”’ At 267 West Esplanade in North Vancouver, one of those modernistic new office buildings framing an interior plaza, one of the largest shipbuilding enterprises anywhere has its head office. Integrated Ferry Constructors — now known to insiders as IFC — had two or three employees be- fore Christmas. Now there are 75 engineers, architects, draftsmen, accountants and specialists. The instantly created entity serves two purposes. It is a shelter for public money, assuring that all B.C. Ferries’ money goes into B.C. Ferries’ ships. From a professional point of view, it has a bolder and more glamorous assignment: it is the umbrella under which the entire West Coast shipping industry can operate in concert. Front and centre is the general Grace contractor, Versatile Pacific Ship- yards, of North Vancouver and Esquimalt. On the flanks are Allied Ship- builders and Vancouver Shipyards (foot of Pemberton Avenue) and many smaller players. If Versatile falters under the weight of its financial burden, the plan is that the consortium will flow into the breach. Standing on the sidelines, with an arsenal of weapons (expropria- tion et al.) is the Crown Provin- cial. Concurrent to the construction of the large ships, Vancouver Shipyards Ltd. is just completing the first of two new 85-car vessels for the fleet, and also berthed at the facility is the Queen of New Westminster. There must be many days when Peter Quinn asks himself why he left the secure bastions of federal bureaucracy. The president of Versatile Pacific, once an assistant deputy minister in Ottawa, it is his task to pilot the struggling company through a labyrinth of debt. Circumstance has created an al- ly whose pedigree is also civil ser- vice. After blazing trails through the ever so gentle provincial bu- reaucracy, the premier’s former deputy Frank Rhodes has settled in as the president of BC Ferries. Every terminal in the system is under scrutiny. Work will begin soon to add acreage at Tsawwassen. Swartz Bay is sched- uled for expansion. Horseshoe Bay redevelopment — now postponed — will proceed once its longterm needs are reassessed. Other offshore purchases are being explored and the corpora- tion is at the advent of a genera- tion of high speed passenger-only vessels. One of the most visible aspects of this new era is, however, the North Shore construction. The superships are just part of this. As their components are manufac- tured, huge sections wil! be towed to Victoria for assembly. The first should sail in early 1993. s INTERIORS We’ve been making homes beautiful for 30 years Lower overhead, Lower prices Call for free in-home consultation 929-3277 929-3277 Your Personal “Love My Hyundai” Coupon FREE 20-POINT INSPECTION - NO CHARGE includes: Beits, radiator hoses, heater hoses, aif oi levels, ali fluid levels, all exterior lights, fuel filter, air }: cleaner filter, exhaust systern, steering iinkage, driveshaft/universal joints, coolar.t strength, front/rear " suspension, shock absorbers, tires, battery cables/connections, brakes, PCV Valve wiper blades, test drive your HYUNDAI = gah % & superstore sulin MT (Eee HYUMDFAFI Open Mon.-Fri. 8:30-5:00 Sat. 10:00-2:00 15 minutes from North Vancouver. 1606 E. HASTINGS ST., VANCOUVER 253-9583 Sunday, February 10, 1991 - North Shore News - 9 U CONSIGNMENTS CANADA GOVERNMENT CUSTOMS CLEARED CERTIFIED AS PERSIAN CARPETS, ASIAN, TURKISH, AFGHANISTAN, CHINA, ete. HUNDREDS OF RUGS, RUNNERS, PALACE CARPETS OF WOOLS AND SILKS, CATEGORIES INCLUDE TABRIZ, KASHAN, SAROOK, KIRMAN, BOKHARA, AFGHANISTAN, CHINA, ETC. AUTHENTIC HIGH VALUE CARPETS * released only for immediate disposal, payment and removal ® 10% freight, brokerage and warehousing charges to be added * each bale will be unwrapped and pieces tagged individually for public inspection * each carpet labelled with country of origin and fibre content. Certified genuine hand made, hand knotted ® proper ID required for registration, dealer tax exemption certificates required to bé tax exempt ® terms: bank cheque, cash or credit cards LONSDALE RECREATION CENTRE j 123 East 23rd St. (at Lonsdala) North Vancouver SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10th AT 1 PM SHARP Viewing from 12 noon N obody wants carpet cleaning in February That’s why Dan’s Discounts Carpet and Area Rug cleaning 39% this month We want to change your mind about carpet and area rug cleaning in February and keep Dan’s busy Call today for a free in-home estimate 984-9151 984-9152 aan RUG & FURNITURE CLEANING “When Dan's in ... Dirt’s Out” Open daily till 6 p.m. & Sat. till 5 pm aay) ViSA_| {____} Serving the North Shore since 1961!