N. Shore tric named as possible Socred leaders Reynolds, Baker, Pattison FHREE NORTH Shoi® names surfaced in the swirl of Soctal Credit party ?2adership speculation following Premier Bil Vander Zaln’s Good Friday announcement to step down as party leader in the wake of the Fantasy Gardens controversy. West Vancouver-Howe Sound MLA John Reynolds, the former B.C. environment minister; North Vancouver-Lonsdale riding Social Credit. candidate Marilyn Baker, the former North Vancouver District mayor; and West Van- couver business tycoon Jim Pat- tison were among those named over the weekend by Socred in- siders as interested in running for the Socred leadership. WV-HOWE SOUND MLA JOHN REYNOLDS... considering the options. Specuiation regarding a new Social Credit party leader took on additionas weight following Vander Zalm’s statement Tuesday that he was resigning as premier. The dramatic move followed the release of conflict-of-interest commissioner Ted Hughes’ report on Vander Zalm’s involveinent in the sale of Fantasy Gardens. Hughes biasted Vander Zalm’s role in the affair. » Said Reynolds on his leadership "BUSINESSMAN JIM PAT- TISON... a possible dark horse candidate. aspirations Tuesday morning, be- fore the Socred caucus was to consider Hughes’ report, ‘I’m considering it.°” A Reynolds believes the Social Credit party has enough time to put the Vander Zalm controversy ‘behind it and build a credible “campaign for the upcoming pro- By Michael Secker News Reporter vincial election, “There are a lot of good things happening with the economy of British Columbia,"* Reynolds said. “We just have to lvok at what's happening with the socialists in power in Ontario to see what could happen here."’ i ee FORMER NV DISTRICT MAYOR MARILYN BAKER... surprised to hear her name mentioned. Reynolds rejected the notion that a leadership campaign would cause further party bitterness and division. He decliicd to say whether he supported che argument that Premier Vander Zalm step down immediately. “That’s something VH talk about in cauci.s,”’ he said. Meanwhile, Marilyn Baker was surprised to hear that Government Management Services Minizter Carol Gran had said that Baker would likely contest the lead- ership. Said Baker, ‘“‘It’s something I haven’t given any thought to. The concerns about having a free enterprise governmeat elected must be the focus of the party. That is my concern. I'm sure there will be all sorts of surmises and suggestions. But that’s (Socred leadership) not something I have considered. 1’m watching things unfold in the next few days. There are some very strong contenaers within government at present.’’ Baker has spent the past few months doing consulting work with the UBCM (Union of B.C. Municipalities). She coordinated and chaired province-wide semi- nars for newly elected municipal officials. She is also chairing the North Vancouver District centennial committee and the the B.C. Festi- val of the Arts working commit- tee. The annual festival is coming to North Vancouver District from May 22 to May 26. About 1,800 artists are expected to come to the district from all over the province. Pattison was unavailable for comment on his political aspira- tions to press time Tuesday. ~ index ® Budeect Beaters......... 48 @®Lifestyles.............. 43 G@ Business ...........-.- 3t Wr. Ruth.............. 44 M Classified Ads.......... S3 WHSports................ 43 Comics .........20006- 46 &TV Listings ........... 338 WI Food ...........-..... 47 What's Going On ...... 45 Weather Thursday and Friday, periods of rain. Highs of 13° and lows of 7°C. Second Class Registration Number 3885 Wednesday, April 3, 1991 - North Shore News - 3 2 i “Semmens waa MA Re ata NEWS photo Paul McGrath CLEAN UP SCENE morning after crash at Esso station, 1890 Marine Drive, West Vancouver. Gas station death crash probed A POLICE investigation continues following a car crash Saturday that left a West Vancouver woman dead and a gas station burning on Marine Drive in West Vancouver. The West Vancouver Police were called to the Esso station at 1890 Marine Dr. at approximately 5:45 p.m. dust minutes before, Ingavorg Von Schlack, 56, had been walk. ing on the sidewalk in the 1900- block of Marine Drive. Her hus- band, in a motorized wheelchair, was just ahead of her. According to the police, an eastbound 1979 Mazda RX-7 then left the road and struck Von Schiack. The woman was thrown about 30 to 40 feet down the road after she was hit by the car. Meanwhile, the Mazda con- By Michael Becker News Reporter tinued Gn to the gas station park- ing Jot where it collided with an overhead fighting structure and a single gas pump. A witness at the gas station heard what sounded like an engine revving and several loud colli- sions. He then saw the car come over a gas-pump island and burst into Names. Esso employees immediately cut the electric power to the gas pumps and contacted the West Vancouver Fire Department, which extinguished the flames. The driver of the car, a 42- year-old North Vancouver man, and a male passenger, a 28-year- old Vancouver man, managed to escape with minor injuries. To press time Tuesday, the police had not released the names of the occupants of the vehicie. The cause of the accident is still being investigated. Charges are pending against the driver of the vehicle. The damage caused by the fire has been estimated at $40,000. B.C. Ambulance Service para- medics attending the scene found Von Schlack without a_ pulse. Resuscitation efforts continued en route to Lions Gate Hosnital, but the victim was pronounced dead on arrival. City vows to keep lands industrial But ccuncil refuses to endorse strategies to save shipyard NORTH VANCOUVER City Council reasserted recently that Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc.’s valuable 18-acre site at the foot of Lonsdale Avenue will remain industrial, but council refused to endorse strategies to save the foundering shipyard from closing. Versatile was granted a stand- still order in mid-March by the B.C. Supreme Court to give it temporary protection from its creditors. The shipyard now has until July 15 to restructure its fi- nances. ALD. ROD CLARK... time to cut collective losses. Ald. Barbara Sharp asked council March 25 to pass a motion that reaffirmed the city’s com- mitment to waterfront industry and endorsed actions proposed at a March 16 city waterfront forum by the Marine Workers’ and Boilermakers Industria] Union By Pamela Lang News Reporter (MWBIV) to save Versatile. The proposed actions included: e acquisition of Versatile by the B.C. Ferry Corp.; ®emergency assistance for the shipbuilding industry; @ making Versatile’s plans public; and striking an emergency task force. Council passed the first part of the motion in a 4-1 vote, with Ald. Rod Clark opposed (Aldermen Bill Bell and Stella Jo Dean were absent}. The second half of the motion was defeated with only Sharp in support. Sharp’s motion pointed ovt that while the ccmpany has been granted protection from its cred- itors under the Companies Cred- itors’ Arrangement Act, Ver- satile’s laid-off cinployees have no access to federal adjustment pro- grams and severance packages that were miade available to east coast shipyard workers. Calling for further government action, Sharp said that although the jobs fost are North Vancouver jobs, the federal government has dismissed all concerns earlier ex- pressed by the city. Because they are showing an unwillingness to seek an alier- native to Versatile’s closure, she said city council should send out ° clear message that the city will m redevelop the land. But Clark opposed all aspects of Sharp’s motion. He said it was ill considered, politically motivated and ‘‘short sighted in the extreme.”’ Shipbuilding in Canada, along with other heavy industry, is dead, he said, adding that it has become a Third-World industry. “Why throw good money after bad?"’ Clark said. He added that it was ‘time to cut our collective losses’’ rather than allow shipbuilding to remain as a ‘black hole for government bail-out money.” Clark then suggested the city ALD. BARBARA PERRAULT... shipyard being written off too soon. purchase the Versatile lands and develop them for high-tech indus- trial uses mixed with public water- front access. But Ald. Barbara Perrault said See MacPherson page 5 ~