ehind the lonely voice

of Yarrows President

Don Nicholson one can
almost hear the death knell
of Versatile Pacific
Shipyards.

By Kate Zimmerm
News reporter

Formerly elusive to reporters,
Nicholson now answers the phone
at Yarrows Park Royal office,
where he is tending to the funeral
arrangements of the 88-year-old
grand dame of the North Shore.

“Yep, it's just me and the
accountant.” he says, a litle
mournfully.

The company, originally known
as Wallace shipyards, employed
over 4.000 workers at the height of
the Second World War. In £921 the

1906 False Creek's Walla
Shipyards expands to the
North Shore

1921 Company changes
name to Burrard Dry Dock
1925 First floating dry dot,
bevins operation

1940s Major expansion dur-
ing Second World War
Burrard Drv Dock Lirgest
shipyard on the west coast

1950s $2,500,000 spent on
capital improvements to
modernize construction
process

1960s) Federal government
subsidies reduced from 40%
in 1961 to 176 in 1972

1978 Burrard Dry Dock sold
to Versatile Manufacturing
and Cornat Industries

1991 North Vancouver divi-
son of Versatile closes down

company was renamed Burrard Dry
Dock, the moniker it held until
1978, when it was sold to Versatile
Manufacturing and = Cornat
Industries. By 1985 its Utle had
changed again, to Versatile Pacific
Shipyards Ltd.

An unstable shipbuilding indus-
try constantly threatened Versatile’s
health. Competition, management
and labor troubles, a lack of govern-
ment subsidies and a dearth of con-

tracts all contributed to the death of

the company in 199],
The seven-hectare proper
worth $20-40 million, has existed in

parent company,
has gone into receiver-
time for a proper bur-

Nicholson's job was to make

Historic NV site page 5

. x
NEWS photos Cindy Goodman / inset of workers: North Vancouver Museum and Archives

VERSATILE SHIPYARDS" prime waterfront land looks out over industrial sites, but the view of its own future is obscured. Versatile, which in 1945 employed 4,000
(see inset), is now virtually deserted. Bustling or still, it remains a major presence on the North Shore.

GRAFFIT! HAILS the infa-
mous $35-million Polar 8 con-
tract which the federal budget
nixed after lengthy negotia-
tions, delivering the fatal
blow to Versatile Shipyards
(above). Departing employees
couldn't resist leaving their
mark (left). Since 1991, build-
ings which once teemed with
activity have become decrepit
husks (above left), vestiges of
an industry which continues
to fight to stay alive. Many
North Shore tivelihoods have
been linked with the fortunes
of Versatile.