ia . i. ots Sat en 4 ee. M y ak ee Q t ae te te , x. . ant = > & 7x ¥ * . + : wy ny 14 7 a A , fF ad , ¢ ab & , . - « r ' > 1 é . ve a Sunday, February 24, 1991 - North Shore News - 2 “EWS photo Stuart Davis LUCAS CONTINUING Education Centre recently held a Fiddle Fest with a group of young violinists, the Calgary Fiddlers. Ranging in age from 9-18 they are students at the Conservatory of Music and Speech Arts at Mount Royal College in Alberta. Support group formed to assist AIDS patients and families THE FIRST support group for AIDS patients living on the North Shore is being formed following a well-attended public forum on AIDS held at a North Vancouver church last month. By Elizabeth Coliings News Reporter Dr. Shane Barclay, a North Vancouver general practitioner, said that the need for a North Shore AIDS support group became obvious during the Jan. 12 public forum at St. Martin’s Anglican Church. The North Shore now has the second highest number of AIDS cases in the Lower Mainland and the third highest in the province. According io Barclay, between 20 and 30 AIDS patients currently live on the North Shore. As of Dec. 31, 1990, the North Shore had a total of 40 reported AIDS cases, a dramatic rise from the 23 reported AIDS cases in February 1989. Based on a survey Barclay con- ducted involving North Shore doctors, Barclay estimates that be- tween 150 and 200 HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) positive pa- tients are also living on the North Shore. In B.C., there are approx- imately 4,000 HIV positive pa- tients. Barclay said 800 of those pa- tients have developed AIDS, and roughly half, or 400 AIDS pa- tients, have died. Dr. Brian O’Connor, medical health officer for North Shore Health, welcomed the new support group. “I think it’s an excellent idea, personally, if he (Barclay) can establish something on the North Shore which can help people with AIDS in the community,’’ O’Connor said. Historically, AIDS and HIV positive patients residing on the North Shore have travelled to Vancouver both for care — at St. Paul’s Hospital — and for sup- port from groups such as Van- couver Persons With AIDS Socie- ty and AIDS Vancouver. The North Shore support group is open to AIDS and HIV positive patients, family and immediate caregivers. Two local sociai workers will also attend the first meeting. In addition, Barclay expects some parents of AIDS patients who have died will come to the support group's first meeting. After that initial meeting, he said it will be up to the group to decide the focus of the support group. “It’s like many support groups that you try not to direct it; it just goes where the patients want it to go,” he said. He added that it is not a thera- py group, and, although meetings will initially be held in a church, they will not be = spiritually directed, he said. Rev. John Bailey,who organized last month’s public forum, is donating church space for the support group. The group’s first meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 1 at St. Martin’s Anglican Church, 195 East Windser Rd., North Vancouver. Highway response capabilities inadequate From page 1 In the case of a Sept. 12 sodium chlorate spill, the local fire department responded well beyond its geographical boundary. ““West Vancouver Fire Depart- ment is sort of it between here and Squamish,” said Evans. ““We were morally obligated to go outside of our boundaries. We're prepared to do that. The bottom line is life safety, and that’s what we're here for. The other two fire departments don’t have the resources to get too in- volved in this kind of thing,” said Evans. The hazardous materials han- dling capabilities of the Squamish Fire Department are described in a W Cocktails & Caviar .. @ Fashion........... W@ High Tech ............ report to Evans as being ‘‘very limited.’” The fire department works with volunteers and four full-time firefighters. Said Evans, ‘‘They have to focus resources and training on fire fighting specifically. They don’t have the materials to put the finger in the dyke.” Jurisdictional limits also soften safety coverage. The Squamish Fire Department has a mandate to respond to a point just south of Britannia Beach. Beyond that it must secure consent from the mayor of Squamish. While the Lions Bay Fire Department is well situated, the department has “‘virtually no haz- ardous material response capabili- ties.”” Canadian Occidental, a chemi- cal producer, maintains equipment and teams in Squamish and North Vancouver that are specially trained to handle hazardous goods spills. BC Rail also supports a spill response team. But said Evans, ‘‘The response time of an industrial team is quick if it’s an hour, It can be as much as six hours.”’ Meanwhile, West Vancouver firefighters responded to 30 inci- dents involving hazardous materi- als last year. Recommendations resulting from the meeting on hazardous index Horoscopes . . . 41 @ Mailbox @ Bob Hunter ....... 4 W§!Spiritually Speaking .. @ Inquiring Reporter...... 42 WTravel............. @ Lifestyles.............. 37 What's Going On Second Class Registration Number 3885 spills response along the Squamish Highway include: esecuring provincial money for hazardous response equipment *creating a resource list of equipment available from both ends of the highway; esigning mutual aid agreements between the three fire depart- ments; edefining areas of jurisdiction and response; *holding a training exercise along the highway; *improving communication be- tween agencies; eand securing provincial money to cover the costs of agencies pur- suing solutions to the problem. Weather Monday and Tuesday, sunny with cloudy periods. highs of 5°C, lows near 1°C. Schreck blasts Baker Fantasy follies THE NDP's candidate in the provincial riding of North Vancouver-Lonsdale has criticized Marilyn Baker, the riding’s Social Credit candidate, for de- manding to know why Premier Bill Vander Zalm has refused to step aside while the sale of the premier’s Fantasy Gardens is investigated for a possible conflict of interest. By Surj Rattan & Michael Becker Baker, the former North Van- couver District mayor, said this week that she has asked Socred party headquarters to clarify why Vander Zalm will not step down as premier while his role in the sale of Fantasy Gardens is being investigated by conflict-of-interest commissioner Ted Hughes and the Financial Institutions Commis- sion. Baker said she wants to know why others have stepped down when conflict-of-interest charges have been raised and why Vander Zalm has not. She added that she has been told there is a difference between cabinet ministers stepping down and the premier stepping down. But Baker said she wants to know what that difference is and she wants the explanation made public. Her call for a public explana- tion came days after Burnaby- Edmonds Social Credit candidate Nicole Parton resigned over the same issue. But Baker’s main rival for the North Vancouver-Lonsdale seat, NDP candidate David Schreck, said Baker should either support Vander Zalm or resign. “*Her choice is to step down as a candidate or represent the Vander Zalm bunch. She can’t have it both ways,’’ said Schreck. “It’s a little late for Social Credit candidates to distance themselves from Bill Vander Zaim. They knew what he was like at Whistler.”” When asked if he sapports Baker’s call for an explanation on the issue, North Van- couver-Capilano Socred MLA Angus Ree replied: ‘‘That’s a tough one to answer.’’ “I think a candidate or an MLA should be able to ask the premier a question, but I’m not supporting her (Baker’s) position when I say that,’’ said Ree. ‘I've always been able to ask the premier questions, just like when | had concerns about the Westview overpass."’ Baker, who was out of town on business, could not be reached for comment to press time Friday. West Vancouver-Garibaldi Social Credit candidate Rodney Glynn-Morris said he supports Baker’s call for an explanation as to why Vander Zalm has not stepped down. “I would agree with it. I think when people are cynical about politicians in general that they think they should all be playing on a level playing field,’’ said Glynn-Morris. ‘‘That’s why I think we need an_ explanation from party headquarters. He added that he ‘‘admired*’ the stand Parton took and hopes “that she will soon be back as a candidate.”” “Any party, provincial or fed- eral, needs the enrichment of can- didates who are courageous, honest and not ashamed to show their passions and emotions,”’ said Glynn-Morris. ouh,