_ Awarm and dry spell in May or June could trans- form the record snowfall on North Shore mountains into floods in local rivers and streams. But the Greater Vancouver Regional District's (GVRD} Water adeunistrator isi’t sounding the alarm, vet. Rainy, mild weather in April could see rivers and streams swell with run-off, said Paul Archibald. Water levels could be a for worse later in spring; or the flood threat may simply evaporate. “The fact we have a large snow pack really has no bearing on when the water will come out,” Archibald said. “It’s entirely driven by the weather.” If conditions cause flooding, Archibald said dams on the Capilano and Seymour rivers are secure. Record snowfall increases threat of avalanches, floods “They should be able to pass what we speculate as being the largest possible flood,” he said. North Shore Search and Rescue team leader Tim Jones said his crew will be ready to help if flooding happens. Avalanche danger, however, is more urgent. “When the snow pack starts (melting), we're going to have some major avalanches,” Jones said. “That is a very big worry, because of the different instabilities lower down in the snow pack.” However, if Mother Nature lets the snow melt gradually, like an ice cube, problems will be few, Jones said. Jones said Greater Vancouver's search and rescue teams met almost two weeks ago to hatch a flood Friday, March 12, 1999 — North Shore News - 3 Snowpack raises concern Bob Mackin Contributing Writer WILL the North Shore’s winter won- derland turn to spring saturation? strategy. As of March 1, there were 740 centimetres (24 feet) of snow at Orchid Lake in the Sevmour water- shed. The water equivalent is 2.978 millimetres (9.8 feet}. Snow levels measured at GVRD stations on Grouse and Dog Mountains were S58] centimetres (19 fect) and 538 centimetres (17.6 feet) respective: ly. Despite the anticipated bounty of water at the Capilano and Seymour watersheds, supplies won't be enough for Lower Mainland residents to. escape summer sprinkling restrictions. “We still plan to put the normal sprinkling restric tions in place, because, as always, there is a reason- able likelihood thar there may be no snow melt left,” Archibald said. “Assuming we have a typical spring with all that snow sitting in the watersheds, ir ll all come out in that period of carl April to mid-July.” By mid-July, public demand for water generally increases while supply drops. suspects nabbed in NV car-jack Police recover Porsche stolen by armed thieves Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter dangelo@nsnews.com A Seymour-area man recov- ered his stolen Porsche after Burnaby RCMP arrested four car-jacking suspects last Friday. The North Vancouver man turned over his. silver Porsche Boxster convertible to nwo car-jack- ers armed with handguns on March 2. The theft occurred at the man’s home in the 25°0-block of Bendale Road. Four days later, Burnaby RCMP recovered the venicle along with a stolen Lexus, taken from Vancouver. Police believe the vehicles were stat- ed for eventual sale “off shore.” The cars were found parked in front of a Burnaby home where one of the suspects, a teenager younger than 18, lived. Revealing the street where the stolen cars were found would contravene the Young Offenders Act. A Burnaby = RCMP burglary spokesman said the stolen cars were found in north Burnaby near Bainbridge and Lougheed Highway. Police say the two expensive cars (a Boxster is worth approximately $70,600) were among others linked to at least four suspects. Last week, police were watching the suspects, according to a Burnaby RCMP robbery section officer. Police say they observed an adult suspect “set upon” an unoccupied Porsche Boxster in the McDonald’s restaurant near Terminal and Main in Vancouver. The suspect used his cell hone. Minutes later, others arrived. he Porsche owner was held up at gunpoint as he returned to the car. The car jackers couldn’t start the car. Police say they panicked and tried to leave without the car, Police arrested the suspects a short distance away. Two .45-calibre revolvers were seized. The arrested ranged in age from 15 to 20. Burnaby RCMP believe the sus- pects are linked to several car-jack- ings in the Lower Mainland within the last month including recent thefts involving female drivers in Richmond. The oldest of the car-jacking sus- pects is a 20-year-old North Vancouver man. He was charged, but the charges have since been dropped, according to police. Burnaby RCMP declined to release his name. A second adult, Sharhad Jahanian, 20, of Port Moody, was charged with being a party to a rebbery and acces- sory after the fact of robbery, accord- ing t police. Two Burnaby teenagers ages 15 and 16 are charged under the Young Offenders Act, They can’t be named as it would contravene the Young Offenders Act. Police believe rhere may be as many as 12 people involved in the car-jacking ring. Mast of the vehicles stolen in the case were taken from drivers at gunpoint, The investiga- tion continues, i 1 u h it H NEWS phots Paul McGrath Trouble on waterfront A mishap at Vancouver Drydock fed to a crane tipping over while it was attaching a gangplank between the Queen of New Wesiminster and the pier last Tuesday. There were no injuries and little equipment damage resulting from the accident which is still under investigation. Direct democracy backers vow to push on From page\ olitical activisc Dallas Collis, and Canadians for Direct Democracy founder Reimar Kroccher. Perhaps not surprisingly, the task force concluded that council should draft a direct democracy bylaw that would give residents an opportunity to initiate referenda on any district issue. Such referenda would give voters an opportunity to amend or repeal any bylaw, or district issue, passed by coun- cit. Citizens could initiate a referendum by a petition supported by 5% of eligible voters. Task force chairman Paul Gallagher described the recommenda- tions as a “moderate” form of direct democracy and emphasized that the task force concluded that it was “only fair and proper” to pur the issue of such a bylaw “to the test of a referendum.” Council then debated just such a ility but ultimately chose not to voters an opportunity to express an opinion on the issue in November. Mayor Don Bell initially staked out a compromise position by suggesting the possibility of going co public referenda tor information purposes only. However, any referendum would not be legally binding on council untess the Municipal Act is changed by the province or the district was to be “bound” by a provincial cabine: regula- tion to accept its results. Bell finally sided with councillors Trevor Carolan, Glenys Deering-Robb and Janice Harris to defeat any further staff consideration of direct democracy. Asked Carolan: “What are we being asked to enter? Expensive advertising wars for referenda? Petition battles where victory lies in who can shout their version of reaiity the loudest?” That position was endorsed by Kathryn Beavis who told council that the California experience with citizen- initiated referenda was whoever “won” was “the side who spends the most on advertising.” Beavis also said that com- plex issues were simplified co a “yes” or “no” situation. Carolan also stated he’d had more calls on the issue ofa sign bylaw and said the core issue was *..docs the larger community really care about this issue.” Harris noted there was sharp criti- cism and cynicism for senior levels of government “but tie complaints direct- ed at the federal and provincial levels of government do not fit local government realities.” Harris also said the support of 5% of cligible voters to initiate a referendum “was ludicrously low as a benchmark.” Munrag argued that 5% was chosen to “eliminate frivelous proposals and yet not block the process.” Munroe, however, was unsuccesstil in persuading a majority of council to agree that “if the idea is such a stupid one, let the vorers reject it.” A signature drive for 5% of the dis- trict’s approximately 50,000 voters would need the support of 2,500. Deering-Robb said council believed in democracy, whether it was dircet democracy or representative but said the fact that “referendums become ‘nev- erendums’ becomes more obvious as this debate drags on.” Collis later told the News that “This is just the delay of an inevitable future. For us this isn’t over. It was just the first step. By the election, those councillors will be changing their tune or they will be changing their jobs.” Strike closes day care Bob Mackin Contributing Writer A province-wide strike by community social services work- ers closed a Deep Cove day care centre and disrupted service at North Shore Neighborhood House for two days this week. More than 10,000 members of four unions went on strike Monday and Tuesday to support their dispute with the provincial government. Three B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union mem- bers walked off the job at Maplewood Childcare Societ’s day care centre. Parents were reimbursed day care fees, but were forced to seck alternate accommodation for their children. North Shore Neighborhood House operated at essential service levels after 60 Canadian Union of Public Emplovees* members joined the strike. Representatives of the Health Sciences Association and Hospital Employees’ Union - said none of their North Shore members are involved in the labour dispute. Picket lines went down Wednesday, bur an over- time ban and work-to-rule campaign went up. Union negotiators were to meet on Thursday to discuss fur- ther job action. “We're hoping that the rallies and unprecedented job action of the last nwo days will generate response from. government,” said BCGEU spokesman Soren Bech. “If there is no action trom government, there may obe further strike action.” The BCGEU represents 6,500 community social services workers, while CUPE counts 2,300. The HEU and HSA represent 850 and 800, respectively. They are employed in four sectors: community living, family and children’s. ser- vices, services for women and child care. Their jabs range from addiction coun- selling and occupational therapy to special needs pre-school teaching. Bech said BCGEU social services workers gen- erally earn $13 to $14 an hour. He said social services workers want pay increases and better benefits pack- ages, including pension fans. CUPE spokesman Bill Harper said the strike began symbolically — on International = Women’s Day: “It’s a wage discrimi- nation issue, because th a female-dominated see- tor.” Harper said CUPE-athil- iated social services workers carn between $8 and $14.45 an hour.