Is Skytrain s for North S SKYTRAIN may be making tracks to the North Shore. But that probably will not be until the year 2000. “Tt will come if, as and when a bridge or tunnel is built on the North Shore,” said North Vancouver- Seymour MLA Jack Davis, chairman of the Skytrain steering committee and previous Minister of Transport. A third crossing at Brockton Point was discuss- ed in the 1960s, Davis said, with the provision that two lanes would be allocated for rapid transit. But Seabus became the third crossing, which Davis calls ‘‘the only political alternative." ‘NO CONTRIBUTIONS “The former Socred gov- ernment and the NDP weren’t prepared to make any contributions to a bridge or tunnel at that time,” Davis said. Davis is not sure if the present or a future gov- ernment would be prepared to alot monies for another bridge or tunnel. But a more likeiy development of SkyTrain on the North Shore, Davis said, would be to have a connec- tion from Park Royal to the Phibbs Exchange every three minutes. The Lions Gate Bridge “as we know it’? will exist for another 50 years, Davis said. He explained if the population and density on the North Shore increases considerably, a Skytrain ride to Seabus or Phibbs Ex- change would be preferable to riding over a congested Lions Gate Bridge. TRANSIT FUTURE ‘Wt'h be awhile before a SkyTrain crosstown makes sense,’’ Davis said, ‘‘but assuming there will be clusters of highrises, lots of y HAW Carts : i sat Poze yb people and high density, then it would make sense.”’ The present SkyTrain system, which has 15. sta- tions, is 12 wiles iong, runn- ing from Vancouver to New Westminster. MLA JACK DAVIS But plans to have the train make tracks into Coquitlam and Surrey within the next two years will increase the system to cover 20 miles. The unique features of SkyTrain which Davis said attracted him included the technology of an automated vehicle, and the economic benefits of the linear induc- tion motor. “The motor is unique,’’ Davis explained. ‘‘There are no gears, no transmission, and much less maintenance. {t's like having a mortgage with low interet.”’ NG LV ERS Commentisg on the automated train running without drivers, Davis said previous accidents with SkyTrain, such as a boy be- ing killed who climbed onto the track and the train being impaired when debris was thrown onto the track, could probably not have been avoided, even if there was a driver. “The driver doesn't drive the train per se,”’ Davis said. ‘“‘He accelerates and decelerates the train. I'm See Skytrain Page 4 NEWS phaie Terry Peters INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD of Electrical Workers picket outside Shaw Cable this week. A labor dispute be- tween Shaw and the union began in the Kootenays in August but didn’t spread to the Lower Mainland until Jan. 10. The union is on strike for a closed shop. NORTH SHORE resi- dents don’t seem to like Cold Turkey. Today is Cold Turkey Day, a day devoted to en- couraging smokers to kick the habit, but local residents are bucking an anti-smoking trend despite pressure from local government and health groups to butt out. A North Shore News tele- phone survey’ reveals the number of male smokers on the North Shore has increas- ed from 20 per cent in 1983 to 27 per cent in January 1986. More North Shore women are also taking up the tabac- co habit. The News found the per- centage of women smoking on the North Shore has in- creased marginally from 20 in 1983 to 22.3 in 1986. While the federal depart- ment of Health and Welfare only has statistics available up until 1983, their figures show a marked decrease in smoking across the country and in B.C. The 3985 Health and Welfare study says between 1970 and 1983 the percent- age of smokers across the country dropped from 40.6 per cent of the population to 31.1 per cent. And throughout that time B.C, has remained the most smoke-free province. fn 1983 25.3 per cent of “B.C.’s population smoked, while Quebec. topped the charts with 35.5 per cent of its population lighting up regularly. While people on the North Shore bucked the anti-smok- ing trend, local governments are enforcing the rights of the non-smoker. Both the District of North Vancouver and West Van- couver Municipality enacted non-smoking bylaws limiting where smokers can indulge their habits in public. The City of North Van- couver is in the process of drafting a non-smoking bylaw. City clerk Bruce Hawkshaw said, ‘‘Hopefully we'll have it in place by next Loca! smokers won't butt out Cold Turkey Day.”’ The News survey also teveals that while women have always made cigarettes their preferred method of inhalation, North Shore mer are turning more towards cigarettes and away from cigars and pipes. In 1983 12 per cent of smokers preferred cigars and 17 per cent sucked on pipes. This year only six per cent of those surveyed now smoke cigar while 9 per cent smoke pipes. The News telephone surveys contacted 433 households in 1986 and 436 residents in 1983. Cold Turkey Day is spon- sored by the Canadian Cancer Society. 3 ~ Wednesday, January 22, 1986 - North Shore News Cove drama ends in court EDWIN Robert Salmon appeared in North Vancouver previncial court Monday following a 12-hour police drama in Deep Cove Friday. The 37-year-old Deep Cove man faces 10 charges, including assault, possession of a weapon, making death threats, mischief causing over $1,000 damage and breaking and entering. He was arrested at 9 a.m. Friday morning, one hour after a woman was released from his waterfront home on Naomi Place and {2 hours after police Emergency Response Teams surrounded the luxury home. ; Circumstances surrounding the incident still have not been released by police, b.t it is known a caller alerted police to a dispute between business associates that involved a knife. Judge J.K. Shaw ordered Salmon to return to court Jan. 26 to fix a date for trial, then released him on $25,000 bail. Man faces assault trial A 20-year-old North Vancouver man is set to face trial on two assault charges. North Vancouver provincial court Judge J.K. Shaw ordered William Raskin to stand trial Feb. 17 for the assault of Garry Swark on Aug, 28, 1985. Raskin was also charged with obstructing a police officer. Centre gets — $500 — NORTH Vancouver City council approved a $500 grant to the Children and Youth Cornamittee of the United Way. , The grant is to assist in funding the establishment of a North Shore Crisis Centre. : The centre would be set up to deal with adolescents experiencing stress or depression and would help pre- vent youths from committing suicide. Sex case im court ROSS ROBINSON appeared in court last Friday on charges of sexual assault and breaking and entering. Charges against the 25-year-old man were laid in connection with an incident that occurred Dec. 9, 1985, North Vancouver provincial court Judge J.K. Shaw ordered Robinson to reappear Jan. 23 to fix a date for trial on both counts, Hot pot to blame AN ALERT paper boy saved the day when he went collecting to a smoke-filled house complete with a wailing smoke detector. Finding no one home at 164 West 13th Street, the boy went next door and a neighbor calied North Van- couver City Fire Department. Firefighters cleared the smoke with big fans (smoke ejectors) and traced the problem to a pot which had been left on a heated element on the stove. The house suffered some smoke damage, and the cooking pot was a write-off. [Fi ERE ee rr se ce ae Shea a