WV MAN FIGHTS FOR LIFE Three A WEST VANCOUVER man is fighting for his life at St. Paul’s Hospital after he was involved in a head-on collision that kill- ed three others on the Squamish Highway Sun- day. Ron Knowles, 54, of West Vancouver was listed in critical condition Tuesday, suffering from internal injuries and frac- tures. Dead are Daniel Kuiper, 51, of North Vancouver, Bruce Caryle Walton, 76, and Laura Elizabeth Walton, 77, both of Squamish. Squamish RCMP said the ac- cident occurred around 2:30 p.m., three kilometres south of Porteau Cove, between Lions Bay and Britannia Beach. A police spokesman said a northbound car crossed the highway’s centre line and hit a southbound car. Two motor-. cyclists, also travelling north- bound, slid into the wreckage. The motorcyclists were taken to Lions Gate Hospital with minor injuries. Squamish RCMP are continu- ing their investigating, and have not released any information on the cause of the accident. Sunday’s accident occurred ay crash just five kilometres from the July 6, 1986 accident in which a bus coHided with a diesel fuel tank. Four people were killed and eight others were injured in that acci- dent. Two weeks ago there was a three-car collision near Lions Bay about IS kilometres away from the most recent accident. Accident won't speed Highway 99 overhaul IT APPEARS unlikely that the provincial highways department will accelerate its schedule of work on the Squamish Highway, despite the second multi-fatal acci- dent there this month. A spokesman for the ministry told the North Shore News Mon- day that the $100 ‘million 12-year program for the coastal highway announced in 1983, was on schedule and ‘‘most_ likely’’ would continue at the pace established from the outset. Assistant deputy minister Ray White said any question of speeding r_ the process because of the continued carnage on the road would have to be dealt with by provincial Transportation and Highways Minister Cliff Michael, who would not be back from Ot- tawa until Friday. White said the first priority had been to concentrate on the debris clearance and to restore ‘ end restructure the vulnerable . By John Pifer From Victoria bridges. ‘‘Work will continue at Alberta Creek,’’ he said, ‘‘where several million is being spent on channel work’’ and Harley Creek and Charles Creek also would be tackled. Work on establishing a four- lane roadway was still some time away, with only some bridge ap- proaches being worked on so far, he added. The entire project was an imposing and challenging one. The ministry could not yet provide figures as to how much of the highways’ budget of $726,974,820 from Thursday’s provincial budget —- was ear- marked for the Squamish route. etapa HUELRATET arggeats Roe 4 43. NEWS photo Stuart Davis NORTH VANCOUVER Citizens for Peace sent representatives to meet North Vancouver MP Chuck Cook (eft centre) to express their opposition to Star Wars and the cruise missile testing. Seen here a concerned member of the group discusses his concern on peace issues to Cook as Shirley Ince and Eric Waugh, (beside Cook) look on at his constituency office Menday. SQUAMISH BAND LEADER IN OTTAWA SQUAMISH BAND Chief Joe Mathias will be among native leaders from across Canada trying to reach agree- ment on aboriginal rights Mulroney and all provincial Ottawa Thursday and Friday. Mathias, as vice-president of the Assembly of First Nations, is rep- resenting B.C. natives at the First Ministers’ Conference on native rights. Native self-government is ex- pected to be a key discussion at the conference. Before he left for Ottawa, with Prime Minister Brian premiers, except Quebec’s, in By KIM PEMBERTON News Reporter Mathias told the North Shore News that he believes the dif- ferences between Canada and its native peoples can be best settled under the Constitution. “Through the constitutional process we can bargain...sort out our relationship with each other,”’ he said. “We're hoping fo: meaningful results out of those discussions.”” A 1983 constitutional agreement established that three meetings on aboriginal rights would be held. This is the last of those meetings. Mathias said that in the area of self-government natives believe it is their inherent right to govern themselves — and they don’t need permission to take control of their 3 - Wednesday, March 25, 1987 - North Shore News - Weather: Wednesday and Thursday, mostly cloudy with a few showers. Highs near 12° €. LOCAL VOID fonts FILL Business........... 13 Classiti-d Ads Editorial Page Bob Hunter Lifestyles Maiibox TV Listings What's Geing On... .52 ED N. Shore health officer chosen THE LONG search for a new chief public health officer for the North Shore ended Monday. North Shore Union Board of Health (NSUBH) chairman Mur- ray Dykeman said the position, vacated by Dr. Eric McBean last June, has been filled. The new public health officer, he said, will take over his new responsibilities within three months. West Vancouver School Board’s representative to the NSUBH Michael Smith said the board had taken since June to find a replacement for McBean, “because it is quite a challenging position and the board wanted to make sure whoever it chose would be able to meet that challenge.’’ Dykeman, who is also a North Vancouver District alderman, said he could release no name as yet because the choice had only been made early last week. But he said the male candidate was ar: ‘‘out of province appointee’, and that an official announcement would be made by the end of March. McBean retired after 11 years as the North Shore’s medical officer. Since his retirement, the North Shore position has been filled one day per week by Dr. John Garry, Mathias joins native rights talks own affairs. To date, Ottawa and the pro- vinces, except Manitoba, have re- jected such claims to sovereignty. They said they want to entrench native self-government in the Con- stitution in ways that would make it a ‘‘contingent,”’ and not an ‘‘in- herent”’ right. Quebec chose not to attend the talks to protest the government’s unhappiness with the lack of prog- ress in talks to bring Quebec into the Constitution. By TIMOTHY RENSHAW News Repor:.¢ Richmond’s medical health officer. The situation has put a strain on NSUBH manpower, board ad- ministrative officer Charles Curry said Thursday. “We will all be glad when we have a full-time medical health of- ficer again,”’ he said. ‘‘The North Shore is a big area.’” The NSUBH is currently funded by the provincial government, the three North Shore municipalities and the North and West Van- couver school boards. The board’s 1986 budget was $4,043,386. Funding from the five local NSUBH members covered the preventative services percent- age of the budget or $2,002,951. The West Vancouver School Board has notified the board that it will withdraw from its NSUBH funding agreement as of July 31. Dykeman said the medical health officer position was adver- tised across Canada, and about 30 applications were examined by the NSUBH before the decision was made. Qualified medical health of- ficers, he added, were an extremely rare breed. West Vancouver School Board’s representative to the NSUBH Michael Smith said the board had taken since June to find a replacement for McBean, ‘‘because it’s quite a challenging position and the board wanted to make sure whoever it chose would be able to meet that challenge.” Two other senior NSUBH posi- tions will be vacated over the next few months. Community care coordinator Clay Hill is scheduled to retire in June, while senior public health inspector Dave Cooper will retire in April. CHIEF JOE Mathias...“‘hoping for meaningful results...”