NEWS photo Al Wekefietd Wednesday, January 31, 1996 - North Shore News -3 Search for eight canoeists rough and risky affair SEARCHERS WERE called ont about a year ago to locate a group © of canoeists from the same youth camp involved in the Sunday res- cue of seven people at Anvil Island. By Michael Becker News Editor “Last time they were found on the beach north of Lions Bay,” said Bruce Falkins, vice-president of the North Shore Lifeboat Society (NSLS). Added Falkins, ‘They were in trouble last year again when the North Shore Search and Rescue Team had to go up and get a group of them off of one of the local mountains.” He said the weekend canoe trip was “ill-advised” considering the weather conditions experienced at this time of year in the Howe Sound region. Outdoor adventurers take to Howe Sound year-round. Added Fred Moxey, Coast Guard officer in charge at the Kitsilano base, “It’s getting to be more and more of a concer, especially with this cold snap we're going through and out- flow winds. Howe Sound can be deadly. If you go over the side or anything happens to you, you don’t last very long.” The NSLS Auxiliary | vessel was dispatched from Fisherman's Cove in West Vancouver on Sunday aftemoon when eight canoeists were reported overdue from a weekend camping trip in Howe Sound. The group was based FIREFIGHTERS AND the RCMP are Investigating a Jan. 25 fire at Orchid Florist, 1804 Lonsdale at Porteau Cove. The teens were partiripating in a wildemess training camp for Ave. In North Vancouver City. Accidental causes and arson have not been ruled out. Firefighters say a cat survived the fire. See Rescuers page 10 sity OKs temporary funds | Sinsights........ 6 | B Mailbox... | a N. Shore Alert.......8. . Sports... 37 | @ Table Hopping....16 Tv Listings. 40 business a Financial Forum: . J - What's new. in money “| ‘management: . 19 News Editor $85-2131 (114) _ Andrew McCredie Sports & Community Editor 985-2131 (147) LETTERS 70 THE EDITOR Latters must include your name, ' full address and telephone number. | Via internet: trenshaw @ direct.ca COMPUTER BBS 90-8027 * UserID: maiibox Password: Jetters Further instructions found in News conlerence. READ THE NEWS OH THE INTERNET. AT http: /Aaww.ngnews.corn’ 1139 Lonsdale Ave., | ; ‘North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 Submrizsious are welcome but we cannot |. accept sporty for unsolicited materia} including A for school crossing ¢ ar CROSSING GUARDS in North Vancouver City will remain on ‘the job for the month of February as a result of a $7,000 |. grant-in-aid approved by city council on Monday night. Mayor Jack Loucks said he made the proposal to give council “breath- " ing room” while staff and the newly | appointed trustee for North Vancouver Schooi District 44 look at funding and safety issues. ' “I realize that doing it for one month may lead to us doing it for the rest of the year, recognize that,” said : Loucks. ‘But despite staff opposition to municipal funding, council supported Loucks’ recommendation by a 5-1 margin (Coun. Bill Bell was absent ". from the meeting). “I don’t want any child’s death over my head or over this council’s head,” said Coun. John Braithwaite. i “im. supporting this 100%. Fd support it if it was $70,000.” The cost of the six-person cross- ‘ing guard program within the city is - estimated at $70,000 per yeas. Only. Coun. Stella Jo’ Dean g | opposed the grant Dean said the city's revenue was shrinking and that it should “go with E!- volunteers from now on.” NORTH VANCOUVER ’ Gity COUNCIL By Martin Millerchip “As much as I'm in favor of cross- “ing guards I’m not in favor of spend- ing money,” said Dean. A. Stakeholder Committee is working at clarifying volunteer options. The committee is comprised of parent and RCMP representatives, city and district staff and school dis- trict staff. It was formed after the school board served notice that it would not continue its discretionary funding of crossing past Jan.31. Due to its collective bargaining agreement the schoo! district cannot replace unionized crossing guard workers with volunteers. However, city staff say that exist- ing city and district insurance policies provide coverage to adult voluntes7s if they were under the control and direction of the RCMP. If sufficient support could be orga- nized by the schools’ parent advisory committees volunteers could be trained by the RCMP community liaison officers. But the Stakeholder Committee has already recommended against parent volunteers as a long-term solu- tion to the crossing guard issue. A report from the committee released Jan. 17 notes:.“The commit- tee could find no examples of where such a program was success The report. states: that one-time grants will not provide a reliable base for the crossing guard program unless a corporate sponsor is secured to take on the program as a long-term com- mitment. Meanwhile, crossing guards at , North Vancouver District’s 12," patrolled crosswalks are scheduled w work their last day today. Parents in the district have already mobilized in an attempt to increase driver awareness at dangerous inter- sections. Sue Anderson helped to onganize’ parents and children to patrol with placards the intersection; of Dollarton Highway and Dollar Road Tuesday afternoon. Anderson, whose eight-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son attend Sherwood Park elementary school, says an unpatrolled Dollarton inter- section wil} be an accident waiting to happen. She told the News that the RCMP: caught nine speeders at the intersec- tion in 20 minutes Tuesday morning. Son accused of killing mother WITH CLEAR signs of physical abuse, an elderly _ West Vancouver woman was targeted by two social workers’ for immediate removal from her son’s care, but she died of serious internal injuries inflict- ed two days later, a B.C. Supreme Court jury was told this week. By Brent Mudry Contributing Writer Crown prosecutor Joe Bellows told the jury that Barbara McCune was killed by her live-in son, her sole caregiver, six days before her scheduled transfer to a nursing home. Michael McCune, 53, stands trial on a charge of second- degree murder in connection with the death of his 83-year- old mother three years ago. Barbara McCune died on Jan. 29, 1993. The official cause of death was due to shock and bleeding from lacera- tions to her liver, believed caused by a direct blow to her chest. Bellows told Mr. Justice Wally Oppal that Michael McCune caused the fatal injury by kicking, jumping or standing on his mother’s chest. She also had four or five extemal injury marks on her scalp, and other fresh injuries visible on her face, both arnas, both legs and feet. |, Bellows said forensic pathologist Dr, James Ferris deter- mined the injuries took place over a three- to four-day peri- od prior to the victim’s death.. “The combination of injuries is inconsistent with a fall ... but is believed caused by repeated abuse and beating,” the prosecutor told the court. The jury was told McCune lived with his frail mother in her West Vancouver house at 1485 Ottawa Ave. On a perpetual three-hour cycle, McCune bad to get his mother out of bed and take her to the bathroom. The prosecutor claims McCune was assaulting his mother, both verbally and physically, with increasing inten- sity in the three weeks leading up to her death, The Ministry of Social Services was alerted to the McCune family’s urgent concerms almost four weeks before the death. Michael McCune, the brother of Shane McCune, a Province newspaper columnist, took his mother to visit another brother in Powell River on Dec. 31, 1992. His sis- ter-in-law Susun Quinn told the court she noticed a large yellow bruise on the side of the elderly woman’s face. A social worker visited McCune and his mother a few See Doctor page 8 -28th o heams ; “"Breemad Schoo! : “Queens Road at Mahon Brookssank School "sein load at Hendry Clayaiand School ; -Capilano Road at Eldon Cave Clift School oo "Deep, Gove Rid. at Cfifimont ‘astview School -Mountain Hwy. at 18th _“/Hightands Schoo! -Queens Rd. at Cowood | “Highlands School -Hightands Bivd. at Belmont Le : » Westview at 28th Steet Lonedate Schoo! ‘ “Chesterfield Ava. at 22nd " Lynn Valley Schoo! -Mountsin Hwy. at Harold Lynnmeur School -Lillooet Rd. at Purcell Way . Mapleviood Schoo! -Riverside Dr. at Parkway Queen Mary Schoo! © -13th at Mahon Ridgeway Schoo! -Keith Rd, at Ridgeway Seymour Halghts Schoo! -Carnation at Berkley Sherwood Park School | -Dollarton Hwy. at Dollar Rd. Westview School “Larson at Bewicke