@ Winds lash # North Shore Power outages, accidents, commuter snarls result NORTH SHORE homes and vehicles were damaged, rush hour traffic ground to a standstill on the Lions Gate Bridge and scores of North Shore residents went without power Wednesday and Thursday after a vicious fall wind storm blew through the North Shore. The storm packed gale-force winds. of up to 85 km/h. The North Shore, parts of Vancouver, the. Sunshine Coast and Powell River were hardest hit by the winds and subsequent power outages, said B.C. Hydro senior communications coordinator Verne Prior. He added that some North Shore customers were stil! without power Thursday morning — 24- hours after the wind storm had struck. “The North Shore was part of the wide-spread power outages we had from Powell River to Hope. We -had about three or four cir- cuits out on the North Shore,”’ said Prior. , He added that one hydro circuit services about 2,000 homes. **This morning (Thursday) about 200 people still don’t have. . power in North Vanccuver and West Vancouver. When we talk _ about outages we talk about feed- ers. Within those feeders we also have scattered pockets of outages and we have about 12 scattered pockets on the North Shore affec- ting about 200 people,” said Prior. | He added that most of the .: power outages were caused by ' falling trees and branches hitting hydro lines. © . _ “bk think peeple are gradually '( starting to realize the relationship ‘between trees and the weather,’’ “he said. By Surj Rattan and Michael Becker The wind storm also delayed North Shore rush hour commuters after traffic control lights on the Lions Gate Bridge all began flash- ing, which temporarily stopped traffic movement on the bridge. A number of houses and vehi- cles were also damaged by falling trees, and local emergency crews were kept busy Wednesday when gusting winds toppled trees onto hydro wires and houses. Three North Vancouver City Fire Department fire trucks were busy for four hours Wednesday morning dealing with wind-related accidents. A North Vancouver RCMP spokesman said the police had their hands full all day dealing with ‘‘chaotic’’ traffic at the Capilano Road and Marine Drive intersection after wind knocked out traffic lights, West Vancouver-based coast guard crews responded to a number of emergency calls Wed- nesday morning. The coast guard assisted a sailor in trouble near Point Atkinson. A crew also responded to a call about a boat adrift near Dundarave. An alumi- num boat was later found to be drifiing after it had broken away from its mooring. Report warns local water susceptible to ‘beaver fever’ ble to a parasite commonly known as ‘‘beaver fever,’’ ac- cording to a member of the B.C. Committee for Safe Drinking Water. Charlie Young said that because the Capilano and Seymour reser- voirs in North Vancouver and Eagle Lake reservoir in West Vancouver draw on surface water and are not filtered, the parasite giardiasis could enter the drinking water. “There’s no reason ‘to not believe our water could be af- fected by this,’’ said Young, head of BCIT’s environmental health program. Young was the North Shore’s chief health inspector for seven years until 1982. The B.C. Committee for Safe Drinking Water recently released By Elizabeth Collings News Reporter findings of its report on B.C. drinking water quality. The committee’s member Organizations include the Associated Boards of Health of B.C.; the B.C. Medical Associa- tion, environmental health com- mittee; the B.C. Public Health Association; the Canadian Bar Association’s B.C. branch; and the Canadian Institute of Public See Smaller page § index @ Editorial Page EB Home & Garden Weather Saturday, sunny with cloudy periods. Sunday, mostly cloudy. Highs 14°C. Lows 6°C. Second Class Registration Number 3885 Fair ‘91’. Over 70 craftpersons are participating in the event which will raise funds for students of the host school and Hillside Middle Schoc!. News wins BCYCNA awards THE NORTH Shore News won a number of awards in this year’s British Columbia and Yukon’ Community Newspapers Association (BCYCNA) Better Newspapers Competition. The News was awarded first prize in the Alcan ‘‘Ma Murray’’ Community Service Award for its editorial and promotional support of local environmental action and the Going Green on the North Shore campaign. News photography manager Terry Peters placed first out of 91 entries in the Bery! Blair Black and White Feature Photo catego- ry. His award-winning photo, which ran in the News’ Zap! youth ‘section, depicted a silhou- etted thumbs-up, thumbs-down reaction to the issue of condoms in high school washrooms. ~ The News’ commitment to the environment also earned it an award in the B.C. Telephone En- Peggy Trendell-Whittaker vironmental Series category. Peggy Trendell-Whittaker’s weekly EcoInfo column placed second in the category. Judges described the column as an “interesting and entertaining series.’ Meznwhile, News artist Lor- raine Wareham won second-place | honors in the Best Advertising Design category for a Tropical Breezes ad. The BCYCNA represents 106 member newspapers in B.C. and the Yukon. a v & ham