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CROWD BLOCKS SEIZURE BY SHERIFFS
Businessman battles
with Workers’

A NORTH Vancouver businessman’s five-year war with the

Workers’
open battle Thursday.

Chilco Electropolishing ‘Inc.
president David Cooke said he was
greeted at his Charlotte Road of-
fice Thursday by three members of
the Vancouver sheriffs office.

“They drove halfway into the
shop and said they had come to
seize my company’s ‘assets on
behalf of the WCB,"’ Cooke said
Monday. o “ :

According.to WCB records,
Cooke owes the board $156.41.
But Cooke said he owes the board
nothing. . ,

‘The disagreement dates back to
1981, . when the “WCB assessed
Cooke's i insurance premiums based
on $10,000 the board estimated he
earned as personal-income from
his business.

Cooke'claims he earned $4,000.

“But the thing is, they can "assess

you for what they want. The WCB

_ made this arbitrary decision that 1

had earned $10,000 and that I was

going to pay the premiums on

wet

limited” “company'” for -
‘covering the duties of.the director.
of: the. city’s . development... and

those earnings. But.1 told them
Jook, this is Canada, not some
tin-pot - dictatorship. It was
ludicrous.’ ~

.-Cooke refused to pay the $75. 39

premium, | and the WCB ‘bills
Started to roll in. ai 4
WCB spokesman’ Alastair’ Gor: ”

‘don said Monday that board in-
, surance premiums: are assessed ;on..

‘the business.

‘to have:

Compensation Board (WCB) boiled over into

‘ By TIMOTHY RENSHAW
News Reporter

the size of a company’s payroll
and on the degree of potential
hazard presented to employees by
Rates, he said, go
from 25 cents to $10 for every $100

‘ ona company’s payroll,

Gordon said Cooke could have
appealed his assessment at any
time over tire past five years.

“According to our records, we

' have been sending him statements

every month since 1982. But there

- has never been any attempt to con-

tact us or dispute the assessment
over that period,’’ Gordon said.

“So in February, we wrote saying’
. if we did not receive payment we -

would take further action,”’ ;
“Vancouver sheriffs subsequently
arrived at Cooke’s North Van-.

couver office Thursday with in-.
’ structions to repossess Chilco Elec-

tropolishing assets.

An attempt by the three sheriffs
the ‘company’s 1975
Chevrolet: van hauled away was
foiled ‘when‘a crowd of. employees

- from other‘area businesses blocked
the attending’ tow truck’s access to |

the vehicle.

: According to Cooke, the sherif Fs -
said to. him: “‘We have secured our

Board

position.”

Said Cooke: ‘We had three op-
tions, one of which was to secure
our own position by moving all
our company vehicles behind their
vehicles."'

With two North Vancouver
RCMP officers in attendance and
a crowd of approximately 25, the
captive sheriffs ended the stale-
mate with a call to WCB offices.
Seizure of Chilco assets was put on
hold.

Gordon said the WCB still wants*”

the premium and interest that they
say is owed, “but whether we will
pursue it or not at this point, I
can't comment.’

According to Cooke, Chilco -
employs eight people and has been
in business for eight years.

‘We have had only one minor
accident in that time. We pay our
WCB premiums before they are
due and last year the WCB decided
to raise our rates 400 per cent.”

Cooke said he had no complaint
with his WCB premiums, but
rather with what he called the
obstinate ‘‘we will’’ attitude of the
board.

He had not appealed his 1981
assessment, he said, because the
appeal procedure requires a com-
pany to pay the money first and |
then appeal, ‘‘And I just don’t
have time to play around here. ,J
work 12 to 14 hours per day seven
days a week at this business.”

hicle has been rescinded. ‘The writ was filed against Cooke’s electropolishing company by
Compensation Board to collect on a $75 insurance premium the board assessed Cooke in

\ voted: 4-3 in favor of.
‘entering’ into” ac

services

licensing department.

‘Frank, Morris, the present ‘direc. ;
“tor-of:the ‘department due.to retire |

ntract with as"

IN- WHAT is: likely a precedent: “setting: - decision, North’ :
Vancouver City Council : passed. a motion Monday : that’
would in éffect allow a limited: ‘company to be the‘head of :
, the city’s development and licensing services department,”

By STEPHEN BARRINGTON...

Contributing Writer

April 30, is slated to be-appointed
by the company as the department

‘director.. The company, Dynamic

Endeavours Ltd., is owned | by

“ mond said that under the ‘contr

Morris:.

As he will be technically retired;
Morris will receive a pension from a

‘against

-anyone,’’ he said.
surance contract read: if -a settle-.

3+) Wednesdays: Aprib-23,

forth'Shore News

N S photo WM Mike Wakeflold

CARSON GRAHAM School unveiled a totem pole last week to
commemorate the school’s 21st anniversary. Above, Carson Graham
vice-principal and Squamish Band members Cheryl and Frank Rivers
uncover the work of art. Frank is a former student of Carson, aud
Chery! is presently attending the school. The pole was carved at the
school by students Willie Watt,-Edward Baker and Warren: Smith.

CASH INJECTION
BEGINS CHURCH
RECONSTRUCTION

ST. JOHN the Evangelist Church was awarded a fire. in- |
surance settlement for $850,000 last week.

As a result of the settlement, a
spokesman, from the Anglican
church said the church can now be
rebuilt.

Harry Whittaker, chairman of
the church re-building committee,

“described the settlement as ‘‘super..

news.’

He said the congregation can.
proceed with plans to rebuild the’
75-year-old church, destroyed by..

fire in February, 1985. .
“We're: extremely happy: ‘and

anxious to get our: church, buck, he

said Whittaker.

In’ January this year the® chitreh
- was forced-to launch a. legal” suit
against three. insurance companies me
- for breach of, contract.

suing NECESSARY” -

. Whittaker explained the action

Insurance, .
Symons General Insurance and the ;
'B.C.
necessary step to allow negotia- ©

Allianze
Insurance Company. was. a

tions to continue.
“Wei weren’t out to sue

“But our -in-

ment didn't occur in. one year
negotiations couldn’t proceed.” : °

By KIM PEMBERTO
. News Reporter .

He said initially the cause of the
fire was thought to have been ar-
son, but an unofficial report now
indicates it was defective wiring.

: He said unlike the last church,
which was a wooden Structure, .

‘plans are for aa grey,- -stone-faced
. church, fully modernized.

VERY HAPPY.

“Wwe? re very ‘happy: with our ine: :
surance settlement but we'feel we'll
have - to raise some «additional <

-funds ‘to’ build,’"’ said: Whittaker.
“It could: cost - -anywhere ° ‘from

$100, 000 to $200,000." -

* He “said ‘next’ month the’ ‘con: *
gregation will be asked to agree: to”
a church.fund-y raising drive...

“North Vancouver City: couinell
has already approved a. grant: of
$10,000 to help -pay- some of the ©
construction costs. ©

Whittaker said the church. has _—

continued to hold Sunday services, '
since the fire, but at Memorial »
Hall. : :

INDEX

the city. as’ well as.a salary:for his. |

Dre services as head of the department.
- Morris ‘declined’ to .tell the News -
- the amount of his pension. -

But. city. administrator: Ed: Raj

arrangement; .: “Morris™. would-;
paid” roughly thes
presently, earning. eet
*- See Hiring
Page 9

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