ew federal p National Party of Canada placing candidates in A NEW’) federal political party will hold an inaugural North Vancouver constituency public meeting on Tuesday, March 30.~ By Michael Becker News Reporter The Nationa! Party of Canada, headed’ by Edmonton publisher Mel Hurtig, plans to field can- didates in all 32 federal ridings in B.C, West Vancouver resident Brian Smith is National Party of Canada president of the B.C.- Yukon Region. Smith and his wife Heather, the party's regional executive director, have taken on the challenge of building a new federal party from the ground up in B.C. As a founding member of Hur- tig’s Canadian sovereignist group, The Council of Canadians, Smith is a longtime Hurtig supporter. Said Smith, “I’ve despaired over the last few years to the point where | was ready to give up on politics totally. 1 had worked very hard in the 1988 campaign for the Liberals and was very ‘demoralized to see the free trade vote lost."’ In September, Hurtig teld him - of his plan to start a new party. “*He convinced us. Here we are working {7- and {8-hour days, seven days a week trying to make something happen,’’ Smith said. Constitutionady, the party re- quires a base of 50 members to set up a constituency association. “ft’s an enormous job, North Vancouver is coming along very nicely. Tet Jewell, a founding National Party of Canada member for the iN JANUARY National Party of Canada founder Mel Hurtig spoke to an audience at the Robson Square Media Centre. The party's first North Vancouver meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 30, at the Capilano public library. North Vancouver federal riding, said he is close to reaching the 50-member base needed to establish a constituency associa- tion in North Vancouver, He came to the party a disap- pointed liberal. We heard Hurtig speak carlier this year in Vancouver. “dt was an event that inspired ine to do something 1 had never done before, which is to become active in the political process as a member of a national party,’ Jewell said. Meanwhile, the new federal party is blasting away at the Con- servative support of the Free Trade Agreement and government monetary, exchange rate and other economic policies, Said Smith, ‘This so-called good business government has more than doubled the deficit in the 8.5 years that they have been in power, and it’s their economic policies that are putting this coun- try down the drain. It is absolute- ly criminal.’ Jewell said his party pledges to NEWS photo Terry Puters Student injured FIREMEN AND ambulance attendants were called to ‘Carson Graham secondary schoo! after a student received an apparent neck injury duzing a rugby game. He was taken to Lions Gate Hospital for examination. @ Business ..............23 8 Call the experts ........52 @ Cocktails & Caviar .....24 @ Comics ....... 8 Horoscopes... Lifestyles. . @ Okanagan feature i Travel .. BA Vintage Years ..... fA What's Going On Weather Monday, cloudy with showers. High 11°C. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238 Sunday, March 28, 1993 - North Shore News - 3 NEWS photo Cindy Goodman “end patronage and the money dominates politics."’ Added Jewell, ‘‘The single thing that directly sets us apart from all the other parties is that we will not accept contributions from any business, any union, any foreign sources, We're just accepting in- dividual contributions. way The North Vancouver meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m, Tuesday, March 30, at the Capilano public library, 3045 Highland Blvd. arty launched on N. Shore all B.C. federal ridings ‘HOUDINI ACT’ TORY LEADERSHIP con- tender Kim Campbell will have to call on magical powers to distance herself from the Conservative track record, according to the West Vancouver man who is laying the B.C. groundwork for a new federal party. Said Brian Smith, National Party of Canada president of the B.C.-Yukon’ region, “If Campbell can manage to sep- arate herself from the record of the present government, that will be a Houdini act. | can’t believe that Canadians are gullible enough to swallow that.’’ Meanwhile, Mel Hurtig, the founder and leader of the National Party of Canada, has spent much time in B.C. and was back again this week to woo voters with 4 vision of a Stronger national govern- ment and an end to the free trade agreement. “B.C. is very important, and we have a lot of support here,”’ Smith said. Smith believes the depar- ture of Brian Mulroney will further dilute Liberal support across the country and attract more members to his party in B.C, and elsewhere. “In fact about 30% of our members are ex-Liberals, across the country,’’ Smith said. . Of the 32 federal ridings in B.C., the National Party has 15 interim constituency Jead- erships in place, including one in North Vancouver. The party plans to field 200 candidates across the country. Lynn Canyon bridge proposal opposed by residents near site Pedestrian crossing raises concerns A PROPOSED pedestrian bridge across Lynn Canyon ran into opposition at a North Vancouver District public meeting earlier this week, as area residents voiced concerns about the increased traffic the bridge would bring to the canyon. The district is considering build- ing a bridge at the northern end of Lynn Canyon in an effort to increase access to the park and to provide Capilano College students with an alternative route to and from school. The bridge would provide a link between Marion Road on the west side of the canyon with Rice Lake Road on the east side. But residents who live near the proposed site believe the bridge would create parking and security problems. “A bridge at this location just makes access to dangerous areas easier,’’ said resident David Cowley. “I think, if anything, they should be closing those pipelines off and making it harder . to get near the creek.”” Currently, the water pipelines at the proposed location of the bridge are used by people to cross the creek. Another concern raised at the public meeting was parking. Parking at Lynn Headwaters is available for visitors to the area, but at the proposed site of the crossing, there is little or no oom for parking, leading residents to believe that cars would be, parked illegally along the gravel road near the bridge. By A.P. McCredie News Reporter But district engineering depart- ment employee John MacLean said the majority of bridge users would be from the community, and cars, therefore, would not be as big a factor as residents believe. He added that the district is looking into the traffic concerns raised at the meeting and will try to ‘“‘work out the parking issue.’’ ‘““We’ve had many requests for a bridge at this site from a number of groups who currently use the park for recreational pur- poses,’’ said MacLean. The groups include cycling, hik- ing and local equestrian clubs. MacLean added that increased traffic on the main creek crossing — the Lynn Canyon: suspension bridge -- has led to conflicts be- tween bridge pedestrians and cyclists carrying their bikes across the span, Between 1920 and 1950 a vehi- cle bridge stood at the site of the proposed bridge. The district planning depart- ment will be holding another public meeting on the issue be- fore submitting a report’ te coun- cil.