Trucker upset with industry’s bad operators lan Noble News Reporter jian@nsnews.com TRUCK owner Bob Macdonald says he’s fed up with out-of-control dump trucks and the dark shadow they cast on his industry. He said truckers want more dene to stop the tragedies caused by dump trucks that lose their brakes on steep North Shore hills. A few days after Monday's acei- dent in West Vancouver, in which a truck sliced open a van and hurled it into another van, the owner of Regional Excavating and Contracting contacted the News. “Pm upset because they are trv- ing to crucify all trucks, when it’s the majority in the industry that look after things,” he said. But he agrees there are many safety problems in the industry. Macdonald has been driving and overseeing dump trucks on North Shore roads for 18 years. His firm has four trucks and the company hires up to 40 dump trucks a dav. Macdonald said he’s fired drivers at job sites on the North Shore for having unsafe trucks. He sometimes sets the truck’s brakes properly before he sends drivers on their way. He said crash problems ster from dump truck operators who charge lower rates. He said they may crashes i | i t i Wednesday, December 24. 1997 -- North Shore News - 3 NEWS photo Terry Peters TRUCKER Bob Macdonald says a minority cf dump truck drivers are giving his industry a black eye. He wants authorities to crack down on bad drivers to help clean up trucking. an-hour rates tor truck operators, “They are hiring people that are inexperienced, for a low wage so they can run all their equipment for cheap prices and they don’t maintain ‘em properly and this is what happens every time,” he said, referring to the accident on 2) st Street. There’s little lett to pay for main- tenance, Macdonald added. Macdonald said that such compa- nies carry overweight loads. He acknowledges that when his firm is competing with the cut-rate_ firms, his trucks can be overloaded as well. “We don't like to haul overloads, sometimes vor have to the odd time. It gets to be a real problem.” Macdonald said that drivers of East Indian descent make up 80% of dump truck drivers in the Lower Mainland and that most of them do a good job and are just as upser about the ongoing tragedies as he is. But he added thar drivers: who don’t speak English are part of the problem, Macdonald said inter- preters should not he used for the licensing procedure. He said some davers will show up at the job site and not be able to speak English, Macdoneld added that steps can be raken to prevent tragedies similar to the ones thathave killed five on the North Shore in seven vears. Macdonald said the West Vancouver Polive have portable weigh scales for trucks, but the police don’t use ther enough. Macdonald said he runs 30 trucks See Checks page 14 cut up to $10 off the average $56- Robert Galster Family reunites 50 years later News Reporter robert@nsnews.com FIFTY years ago today, North Vancouver’s Hans and Ursula Weickardt tied the knot. The wedding took place half a world away, while Europe was rising from the war’s rubble. Ac the conclusion of the Second World War, Hans found himself in a Russian prisoner of war camp. Regardless of which side one fought on dur- ing the bloody conflict, it was common know!l- edge among right-thinking wen that the Russian occupied zone was to be avoided. Hans agreed and as a German, he had good reasons to. He escaped confinement in castern Germany and made the painful 700-kilometre trek on foot across war-torn Germany to the British sector. When he arrived, Hans started working for the vecupying British forces. It was then that he met his future wife, Ursula. On Christmas Eve of 1947 they married. “T arranged iv this wav so f wouldn't forget the day,” said Hans. “And vou don’t have te buy two presents — one tor Christmas and one tor the anniversary.” Fifty missed presents later, they find then- selves in North Vancouver after several stops. “PE could bite my behind we didn’t move right away te: Vancouver,” said Hans, Iniztally the young couple moved to England on the recemmendation of acquaintances thes anet in Germany, However, the weather and setring of thei: first choice in Britain — the Orkney IMands combine:t to produce enough sccond thoughe- to propel them to the mainland. However, ever there they experiences cnough homesickness to feave not-so-sunm Britain behind and return te Germany. Vhe vear was 1950 and their homeland had not quite recovered from ity warinduced depression. Work was difficul to find and accommodation nearly impossible. On a friend's suggestion, the two decided to set ont set again. This time it was Canada. Word had it opportunities abounded there. While no distant destination can ever live up te its billing. Canada came close. Their first stop wes i NEWS phcto Grad Ledwidge CELEBRATING the Weickardts’ 50th wedding anniversary are (left to right) Heidi the dog, son-in-law Udo Naguschewski, Ursula, Hans and Hans’ daughter Hanne Lore, who made the trip from Germany. Montreal, where they settled for 19 vears. However, saciab strite caught up with the couple ver again. With the FEQ ersis hangs ever ha Belle Province. they headed for ‘Toronto, where they spent another 17 years. While fying in Ontario, Hans started com: peting uy masters events in track and field. The compennve streak he possesses led to 95 gold medals in national and international events and culpunated ina visit ta Richmond tor the 198? Morsters Track and Fieid championships. One jook ar the wese coat and the Weickardts were on the move vet again, The two settled in North Vancouver. While preparing a will a couple of years ago, Hans decided to make a final grasp at connecting with his past. Hans had a couple of children trom a previous marriage that had fallen apart: during the war. “Wo wot lost the wartime .. because thes lived an the Russian cone and there was ne way to contact them,” said Phan Phe fron Curtain that descended on castern Germany sepanted them. Even when it fitted. no traces of hus kids remained, However, he decided te tre one fast time and contacted the Red Cross. Tt turned: aut fis daughter had done the same thing and someone at the international organization pur the ave reports together, In 1995. what scemed impossible for more than forty vears came to pass: Hans was reunited with his dong-lest children, who now live in Germany. The reunion is being repeated this vear as part of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary. Hans and his family truly have come full-cir- cle uhis Christmas season, Early Xmas present for NV chamber Robert Gaister News Reporter rebert@usnews.com CHRISTMAS came early for the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce. Last week a special sitting of North Vancouver District council saw the councillors and mayor agree unani- mously to pay an outstanding $66,000 bill chat had several chamber menibers wrapped in anxiety. “The money was finaily released ta the chamber.” said North Vancouver District Coun. Janice Harris. “We voted to release that money for the "97 budget.” Chamber members’ anxiety was rooted in the tear district politicians started plaving hardball after some members took a pubhe stand against the councillors voting themselves pay raises, As aoresult, chamber chairman Doug Smith issued a gag order to chamber members to keep quiet on the pay issue. Smith was unavailable for comment to press time. On Dee. 16, district. councillors voted 6-1 in favor of giving themselves a 32% pay increase. Coun. Harris cast the sole vate against the pay hike. North Vancouver Jawyer and cham- ber member John Lakes was one of the more vocal opponents of the council- lors’ pay raises. “I don’t support them, that’s for sure,” said Lakes after the councillors granted the overdue payment to the chamber. “Three of them are brand new and I don't know how theyre going to face the union. “The-e’s a lot of discontent that’s brewing,” he added. He did not want to comment on the gag order. The money owed to the chamber was for services pertaining to providing business information and tourism ser- vices during 1997, According to chamber president Judi Ainsworth the district usually approves the contract during its budget deliberations in the spring and follows it up with a cheque by the summer. However, this year the district start- ed a review of all of its fee-for-service contracts, including the chamber’s, and withheld its annual payment. “L thought the chamber members handled themselves extremely well,” said Harris. “Pm quite pleased we've gotten past this.” Harris said) council members expressed a desire to have more contact with the chamber, including regularly scheduled meetings between represen- tatives of the two groups. “The chamber is very keen fo press on and forge a new relationship with council,” said Harris adding there may be more services added to the cham- ber’s plate in 1998, The North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce had a budget of $315,000 in 1997, ft provided tourism information to 38,000 visitors and fielded) approxi mately 4,000 inquiries from people looking to expand or introduce busi- nesses in North Vancouver, { Erica Purcell. COVER Christmas brings a surprise holi- day visitor for seven-year-old | NEWS photo/illustration Season's Greetings eau Canada inc iy CALL 990-1153 The UNbottled Water Company