September 7,

CARPENTER IN the sky Ghislain Lemieux climbs the scaffolding
for the new Theatre-in-the-Sky at Grouse Mountain. Built at a

Classifieds 986-6222

Office. Ed‘torial 985-2131

cost of $3 million, the theatre features a half million dollar sound

Versatile Shipyards awarded
$120m superferry contract

VICYORIA — North

Vancouver-based

Versatile Pacific

Shipyards Inc. has won a $120-million government contract

to build a 470-car,

2,000-passenger ‘‘superferry.”"

and

negotiations are under way with the company for delivery

of a second vessel.

Premier Bi) Vander Zalm_ and
Highways Minister Rita Johnston
told a press conference Thursday
at the company’s shipyards near
Victoria that the first vessel is to
be completed for delivery in 1993,

will initially be
Tsawwassen-Swast7

ferry
the

Phe
uscd on
Bay run.

Johnston said the ferry
peration would: begin negotiauions
with Versatiie immedirtely tor
delivers of a2 sccond superfersy in
{Oud,

Onenay!

Cure

tenes ted: for the

NK

RTH SHORE HERITAGE:

By JOHN PIFER

Contribiating Writer

first ship to be delivered in 1992
and the second the following sear,
Versatile Oninally submitted a
bid only on the second terty,
because company omninerement
stated that the shipsard couhd not
meet the 992 delivery date for the
first forty.
Provincial
spokestian Dick Melville said cat
alb vous well Versatile wall bse cet
the soatrach to build the scoot

PONSYRNALCUT

15

ferry."

Versatile’s shipyard in’ North
Vancouver would be involved
“considerably” with che ferries’
production, a company
spokesman told the Narth Shore
News.

The Esquimalt operation
employs 350 workers; fhe North
Vanecover yard currentiy: employs
§20. Contracts for envineering and
fabrication work wu te ub fer to
other BoC. corpanies.

Johnston hailed the steek. mod
erp fers as the first im a “nes
generation’ of ships for the Boo.
Ferry Corp,

She said Cabtaer bas rejected cli
other fenders for tbe new ship
attend was learned that mager in
toermatonal stupwards order Gould
net deliver the vessefs oH tame. ved

debavcr the fordes aco an

Premier Bill Vander Zalm
.. Clear example of how gov-
ernment could help to maintain
jobs..."°
“acceptable” price.

Versatile's tender of S#19.2 anil

hom was cane of the histest bids

"NEWS photo Stuart Davis

system and 140-seat theatre. The feature show Our Spirit Soars
uses the latest in multi-media technology. See story, page 11.

received for building the vessel,
but othe company’s ability. to
deliver the vessel promptly tipped
the scales its way. said the
minister.

Vander Zalm told reperters that
the decision was ‘ta clear example
of how government could help to
maintain jabs when the general
eeonomiy shows signs of slowing."

He said the contracts for Ver-
sutHe and other shipyards for the
project woud provide more than
600 direct person-years al
employment, or nearly four vears
of continuons employment for
B.C. shipyard workers

The contrasts are scent as a ina.
fer obaost for Versagle, which
tearned seven months avo that a
tederal contract to build a S640
million Polar S scres icebreaker
had heer she sed