36 - Wednesday, January 22, 1992 - North Shore News HELP’S AT HAND HELP’S AT Hand, by North Shore Community Services (NSCS), is a forum for discuss- ing government policies and programs, benefits, consumer and legal rights, taxation and public services. Answers are intended only as a general guide and should not be applied to individual cases without further consultation. Question: I have seen an el- derly neighbor of mine bump into parked cars and also noticed new bumps and scrat- ches on his car after he is out driving. I think that he has sight and hearing impairments that may be affecting his driv- ing ability. Pm worried because there are many small children in. the neighborhood. Is these anything I can do? Answer: Since you think that he has sight and hearing im- pairments, it is possible that he isn’t aware of his mishaps. Before making a report you may want to ask him if he real- izes he has bumped and scrat- ched other cars and that way give him the . opportunity to deal with the accidents himself. It could be that he is trying to maintain his ability to drive _ beyond what is safe for him and others. “Hf, however, you suspect or have witnessed that his acci- dents are malicious, you may consider making a report. If he is causing damage to the cars he bumps and isn’t acknowledging it by leaving a note on the car with his name ~ and number, he is committing / ahit-and-run, |. As a witness to his mishaps you are not under. any legal obligation to report him. The - person whose car has been hit may have reported it to the In- ‘ surance Corp. of B.C. (ICBC). : if the culprit, in this case, - your neighbor, is not: iden- tified, the owners of the cars . that were hit will have their ’ repairs paid for by ICBC, but it will cost them a deductible fee. co poe Rare early pre-fab home in If you do wish to report it, contact the local police. If the owner of the car that has been hit has not reported i:, perhaps because the damages were very minor, the hit-and-run will not be investigated any further. If a claim has been made and your neighbor takes re- sponsibility for the damages, there is no further need to in- volve you. if, however, he denies the responsibility and the case goes to trial, you will be summoned to court. As a court witness you can be subjected to time and energy-consuming de- mands, If you do decide to report to the police, have as many details about the time and location of the offence as well as names, licence plate numbers and a description of the vehicles in- volved. Judging by your description of your neighbor, there is a se- “cond option. As you might know, driver’s licence holders automatically receive a request to re-test at 80 years of age, or sooner and more regularly if they have a known medical condition which affects their driving abilities. Since your neighbor has sight and hearing impairments it is quite possible that ke needs to be re-tested now. You could write a letter to the Motor Vehicle Branch head office at 2361 Dougtas St., Victoria, B.C. V8T 5A3, iden- tifying your neighbor and tell- ing them what you have seen. They will then write to him asking that he report to the nearest Motor Vehicle Office for a driver’s test. They will not reveai who has made the report. By doing this you can at least feel you have taken action to deal with what could be a potentially dangerous situation. This column is prepared with financial assistance ‘from the Notary Foundation. For more information call NSCS at 985-7138. . process. of being restored THE RESTORATION of a primary heritage building is cur- . Fently under way in North Van- couver at 408 East 2nd St. ~ The building is a rare example of a pre-fabricated home produc- sed by the B.C. Mills Timber & Trading Co., which was a consor- tium of Lower Mainland ‘firms operating out of. New Westminster, False Creek and North Vancouver. They produced pre-fab buildings . between. 1904 and 1910; the building at 40g East 2nd St. was built in 1906. B.C. Mills’ pre-fab- buildings used a unique system of four- foot-wide sandwich panels. The panels had exterior siding and in- terior cladding with the dead space between them providing in- sulation. The pre-assembled panels interlocked and were bolted together to create a weatherproof vertical joint. This patented method resulted in strong buildings which were both durable and easy to assem- ble. B.C. Mills pre-fabs were very popular and buildings were ship- ped throughout B.C. and the Prairies. The panels were partially created from board ends at the mills which would otherwise have been burned as scrap. This method was therefore an early ex- ample of an efficient and en- vironmentally friendly construc- tion technique. Purchasers selected their B.C. Miiis buildings from a catalogue. The company then delivered ail parts necessary for construction, including everything from nails to wallpaper. The building at 408 East 2nd St. was known as Model “LL? It was built for Mr. William Dallas Jones, a conductor of the North Vancouver streetcar service. Mr. Jones was the con- ductor of the first streetcar to operate in North Vancouver. This pre-fab is one of only two existing on the North Shore. It is now in the process of being restored by the owner, Mr. Shahbudin Gillani. The restoration and fegal pro--. tection of the building have been made possible through the joint efforts of Mr. Gillani and North Vancouver City Council. Working together, arrangements have been made that will aliow for the reten- tion and restoration -of this heritage building, along with the construction of a second home.at the rear of the property, This de- velopment was provided for through an amendment io the standard duplex regulations. Scott Kennedy of Cornerstone Architects is the architect oversee- ing the building’s restoration. This will involve a complete mechanical upgrade of the building, new cedar roof and a family room ad- dition at the rear. The new infill building was designed by Mr. Kennedy and is intended to complement rather than replicate the heritage build- ing’s design. : Once completed, this B.C. Mills home will be one of only a few in existence to be rehabilitated and legally protected. 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