Oppositien to mega-banks hits Lonsdale Avenue Rohert Galster News Reporter robert@nsnews.com THE sweet sound of song filled North Vancouver’s Lonsdale £venue Wednesday as a group of protesters set up along the busy thor- oughfare. Approximately 30 people made a show of their opposition to pro- posed bank mergers that would see Canada’s four largest banks consoli- date into two. They gathered out- side the Royal Bank branch at the corner of Lonsdale and 18th Strect before making their way south toward the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce at 16th. From there they walked another block to the Rank of Montreal at 15th. “We got to three banks,” said Dallas Collis, the president of the North Shore chapter of the Council of Canadians, one of two groups responsible for orgsnizing the protest. Joining the council were the Raging Grannies, also a national up. While the organizations they were representing have a variety of issues on their agendas, this weck’s gathcring was intended to coincide with the release of a report on the impact of the proposed mergers. The report was prepared by an eight-member panel chaired by Harold MacKay. MacKay’s repor? did not com- ment directly on the proposed mergers, but instcad speculated on the general future of the financial services sector in Canada. The planned mergers were announced carlier this year and involve the Bank of Montreal join- ing the Royal Bank while the Canadian Impcrial Bank of Commerce will join the Toronto Dominion Bank. “We don’t think it’s in Casada’s interest,” said Collis, adding the proposed mergers would have a neg- ative impact on workers, services and the number of branches. “We're bepin- ning to take the message out and we'll keep pounding away.” Collis said ‘his group boasts 110,000 members across Canada and 900 on ihe North Shore. . “I think if enough Canadians stand up and enough phone Ted White’s office for exampie (and) write to (federal Minister of Finance) Paul Martin UDS pr atest mergers Friday, September 18, 1998 — North Shore News — 3 NEWS photo Paul McGrath BETTY Griffin joined a group of about 30 protesting proposed bank mergers on Lonsdale Avenue jast Tuesday. Griffin is a member of the Fiaging Grannies which along with the Council of Canadians organized the protest. saying no, the government hopefully will listen,” said Collis. “There is still some semblance of democracy in this country.” The Council of Canadians is holding a public information mecting on Wednesday Oct. 7 at Capilano Library, 3045 Highland Bivd. Simon Fraser University professor and political science department chair Stephen McBride will address the bank merger issue starting at 7 p.m. man faces child porno charges ‘Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter dangelo@nsnews.com A 56-ye2z-oid North Vancouver man was arrested on Wednesday in connec- tion with the alleged making of child pornography involving boys. Marck Richer is facing charges of: possession of child pornography; @ the making of child pornography, @ sexual interference; BB invitation to sexual touching; @ the sexual assault of an underage malic. The charges date back to incidents alleged to have occurred from January 1992 to the present in North Vancouver. Richer was slated for an appear- ance Thursday in North Vancouver provincial _ court, The police case against Richer is ongoing and involves investigations of alleged incidents that occurred up to 25 years ago in other provinces. As reported in the News on Sept. 4, the North Vancouver RCMP obtained a warrant in late August to search Richer’s residence in a rooming house in the 400-block of East 2nd Street. Police officers had earlier been in Richer’s room after an Aug. 24 complaint. The complaint includ- ed information that Richer had an “eight to 10- year-old boy in his room” and that Richer had young boys in his room on other occasions. Police said more than 100 video tapes were in Richer’s room. Police said in the search warrant that the tapes were of “males engaged in sexual activity.” Police noted pictures of boys in Richer’s room including a photograph glued to a video case cover of a boy estimated to be aged 12 to 14. According to the search warrant, Richer told police the tapes were “all legal.” Among thc video tapes seized are homemade shots of Lower Mainland boys engaged in everyday activities spliced with porn material. Homemade footage also shows a young boy engaging in sexual activicy. Richer was investigated twice before in connec- tion with complaints about his interaction with young boys, according to the search warrant. In December 1997, a nine-year-old boy said he was videotaped skateboarding by Richer in North Vancouver and that the video tape was to be given to the boy’s mother for Christmas. Richer had given the youngster = $200 skateboard after know- ing the boy for three weeks, according to the search warrant. Another police complaint made this year, involved a woman who said that Richer had given her son gifts such as magazines and had left netes for the boy at the boy’s home. Completed review of district operations still not released From page t cil on Monday, Sept. 21, during coun- our legal counsel and we will see what she said. We will see what we are allowed te The final report has yet to be for- mally released to the public, but has been in the hands of senior staff and council since carly June. It is sched- uled to be presented publicly to coun- cil’s regular meeting. George Cuff is scheduled to attend. Boname said the delay in releasing the report was necessary. “One of the many things that took us so long is that we have to run it by turns up on Monday, When asked if portions of the report were being removed or edited, Boname said: “We have to comply with the free- dom of information and privacy act. present to the public.” Meanwhile, no one at the district, including the mayor and council, will comment on the current status of Allan’s position or that of other senior staff members, ‘Playboat’ hits rough water in ‘West Van Satherine Barr Contributing Writer STEPHEN Sinclair aad his boat are in a lot of hot water. Back in 1995, the West Vancouver father of two sct out to build his children a “playboat.” The problem is, it looks a lor like a playhouse. And West Vancouver District requires that Sinclair apply for a building permit for the structure. But Sinclair argues that the playboat, which is under 100 square tect, is not big cnough