MAY 21, 2000
Bright Lights
Celebrations

; Classifieds

Crossword
Fashton

upgrade
stalled

Michael Becker

News Editor
mbecker@nsnews.com

IT’S back to the
drawing board for
engineers attempt-
ing to work out
the most efficient
way of replacing
the bridge deck on
the Lions Gate
Bridge.

On Friday a Lions Gate
Project spokesman con-
firmed that a full weekend
closure of che bridge, origi-
nally planned for 10 p.m.
Friday, May 26, to 6 a.m.
Monday, May 29, has been
cancelled.

Bridge traftic will rolf as
usual thar weekend.

Said Liens Gate Project
spokesman Pam Ryan, “In
consultation with American
Bridge/SureSpan we decided
we weren't satisfied with the
engineering and equipment

rocedures for the lower and
iit — it's the piece that holds
the old deck and the new

See Weekend page 13

Beer price

Michael Beck

News Editor
mbecker@nsicws.com

A battle is brewing over B.C. Liquor
Distribution Branch (LDB) beer pricing
policy.

“Politicians talk very bravely about trying to lower the price of
beer, Ler’s allow real competition in there, not favouriasm for

Labatt’s and Molson,” said Bill Bell, a North Vancouver City
councillor and spokesman for Pacific Western Brewing Company

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NEWS photo Julie iverson

Up the creek

YOUTH Week Committee members Krista Haydahl (left), Tanya Muller (right) and Teija Martin (back) sit beside Pound Road Creek that

they helped clean up as a part of Youth Week. See story page 5.

ght ferment

West Vancouver president of
brewery wants fair competition

At issue is the LDB’s practice of beer category management.
Certain categories of beer are placed in certain liquor store traffic
flow areas. The LDB works with three beer categori remium,
mainstream and value brands. ‘The categories reflect pricing.

Less expensive beer — the value brands — are placed in low
profile areas of liquor stores. Premium beer brands receive expo-
sure in the part of the beer section that the majority of customers
first encounter as they walk through a liquor store. Bell calls this

is taking the

“the power aisle.”

Rell said the LDB’s beer category management policy began to
be implemented in 1996: “They only consulted with Labart’s and
Molson. They stopped the implementation because they were
embarrassed by the fact that they hadn’r done any consultation.”

A broader consultation process with industry stakeholders
began in 1997, Beer category management was fully implemented
in July of last year. Since then, PWB has a more than 15%
drop in sales of its lower priced beer. It has repositioned its prod-
uct, but the company now finds that it has to match the prices of
those in the power aisle to even be considered for placement there.

See Beer page 13

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