May 29, 199 52 pages

| Dream steam machine

Eel
re CAGE te phen De

Office, Editorial 985-2131

Display Advertising 980-0511

Backyard NV gold search suspended

THE SILENCE on Wind-
ridge Drive is golden to
neighbors of a man who for
several months drilled for
gold in an otherwise serene

suburban area of North

Vancouver District.

By Kate Ziminerman
News Reporter

Ron Austin ef 2233 Windridgs
Dr. had a permit Fram Pnergs,

repent aie tam
Ban Gta

Mines and Petroleum Resources to
drill for gold and copper in his
backyard from Feb, 10 to May 10,
He had erected a fence and hired
a diamond drill and operator as
Well as security to patrol the site.
Phe diamond drill operated all
day dons in the residential ncigh-
borhuod. prompting numerous

complaints from the residents of

ddjacent houses.

AN petition against the drilling
Was simned bs 33 nearby home:
OM ers

Pingdls

Meth SN ancouyyt-

Seymour Liberal MLA Daniel
Jarvis began pressing the NDP to
balt the exploration.

When Austin’s permil came up
Mas 10 for cenewal, the ministry
turned him down,

Naw, said Jarvis, u's safe to say
iS a ne-ge sittation, “AL he was
really getling was sand down
there.”

The equipment left ihe property
twee Weeks age. and the diiliing
stunned.

Seco MEAN page S

TEE TIME

Another look at golfing now
that we have the perfect
weather for the sport.

Classifieds 986-6222

MAKING SPARKS

A busy voung couple
lights a neve spark with
individual makeovers.

Distribution 986-1337

NEWS photo

BC RAIL’S Royal Hudson locomotive 2860 and its backup focomotive 3716 run together for the first
time today. The steam engine double-header marks the season's inaugural run for the Royal Hudson.
The 2860 was built in 1940. The twe steam tocomotives are the largest in scheduled service anywhere.

Low snowpack raises
water supply concern

THE GREATER Vancouver
Water District (GVWD)
reported Friday that snowpack
levels ure at 72% of the aver-
age water content registered
this time last year,

The lack of major snow avcu-
mulation this winter has con-
tributed to water shortages in the
snowpacks that feed the Capilano
and Seymour lake water reser-
soirs and ultimately supply
drinking water te the region.

Although levels have aot vet
reached the 1997 all-time low af
S00 min. compared to T4800 mar
currently, the repart pointed aut
the fizure is well below the foug
num 20-year weerage. Sprinktine

restrictions are scheduled for
May 28 to Sept, 30.

At Fridays Greater
Vancouver Regional District
iGVRD) board meeting, New
Westminster Mayor Betty
Toporowski questioned whether
inadequate storage Cucilities or
rapid public consumption ismak-
ing Matters worse.

“Should we be acting cartier
(by imposing restrictions)” she
asked water manager Joho
Morse.

He said storage space and
restuicuons bave nothing to do
wilh snowpack levels, "The
(storage) Hakes are full of water”
he assured Poporaw ski