V

A7 - Sunday, February 27, 1983 - North Shore News

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Dear Editor:

I am going to take this
opportunity to respond to
Some misleading and
inaccurate statements that
are being circulated
regarding the council
decision to discontinue our
fire department’s§ mini-
pumper program. The facts
have not been presented and
I would like to emphasize
the following: ™.
e The mini-pumper’s initial
function was to save wear
onthe

minor alarms and _ public
service calls.

e The safety equipment
which is presently carried by
the mini-pumper will nor be
dispensed with but will be
duplicated (in the case of the
“*yaws-of-life’’) and
triphcated in the case of the
other specialized equipment
on our regular pumpers in
three zones across. the
municipality. To quote our
Fire Chief in this regard,
“you cannot expect a tac-
ucal team of firefighters to

Watershed

Dear Editor:

I take exception to your
editorial of February 16,
“Victoria's Duty”. Dismissal
of the possibility for im-
provements to the existing
Howe Sound Highway as
“unlikely” is nonsense. The
highway can be improved.
enlarged and made as safe as
any mountain highway. The
methods and techniques are
well known and have been
applied around the world. in
the Alps, in South Amenica,
in the United States and
even in Bntush Columbia in
the Fraser Canyon

mn the other hand.

to

race from one corner of our
district to another without
endangering their lives and
the lives of our citizens,
trying to reduce the most
important ume needed to
save lives and property. We
believe that the three
districts as proposed will
enable us to respond as
quickly as possible with a
lesser risk to all involved.”
*:The regular pumpers have
previously responded, and
will continue after March 8
to respond, to all calls.
Fhere wilt be no cutback in
fire department response.
Contrary to assertions by our
Firefighters’ Union that
termination of this program
will result in immediate and
serious danger to life, health
or safety, I will again quote
our Fire Chief, “I do not
ici @ threat after

March 8 of 1983. The
department will

reorganize its priorities,
procedures and _ response

patterns to life situations as
they arise.”
I should point

out the

protection

Suggest as you do by un-
substantiated reference to
other countries, that a
highway can be built with no
discernible ill effects is more
than nonsense, it is outright
dangerous distortion of fact.
That a highway can be built
through the watershed is a
fact. That the result will be
measurable degradation of
water quality is also a fact

The resistance to a
watershed road is not by a
“vocal environmental
lobby”, as you state Rather.
itis by informed people who
realize that the degradation
of water quality ts

No. 3 fire grading accorded
this municipality by the Fire
Underwriters’ Survey is the
second best rating in the
Lower Mainland (awarded to
only two other
municipalities) and = sur-
passed only by Vancouver
whose No.1 rating is the only
such grading in Canada. It is
of note that these grades
were established in 1980
prior to introduction of the
mipi-pumper and have not
altered with its introduction,
nor will they change due to

Our fire department
accounts for some 21¢ out of
every tax dollar that goes to
municipal services. Fur-
thermore, it is not the only
essential service’ in
protecting life and property.
On a per capita basis, our
eontributton to fire
protection is the second
highest in cost compared
with thirteen other Lower
Mainland municipalities.
Dunng the pemod 1973 to
1982, the fire department's
share of our total budget

is vital
irreversible and that the cost
of water treatment even to

maintain the accepted public
health standards

for in-
fectious disease, without
reference to all of the

dangerous chemicals which
would come from the high-
way, will cost more than
upgrading the existing high-
way.

Victona has a duty — that
duly is to. protect the
majonty public interest and
to ensure that one milhon
people are not put at msk for
the benefit of a few
I) L MacKay
Commissioner
GV Water Distnct

Gambling with citizen safety?

Dear Editor

I feel 1 would be remiss
not to voice an opinion on
the deciamon of Dastriet
council to risk the safety of
citizens by a move to phase
out the Rescue and Safety

Unit

This move raises serous
questions Was there a
professional inquiry before

this decision”

Do only have one
person on council who docs
Ins) homework?) Did the
person who set off the false
alarm recently have an input
on this serious matter?

we

What would be the cost
per capita to keep this
vehicke in service”

I doubt it would be very

Cut out costly tax men

Dear bediter

Noch Wraghts article A
Plat Tana
mendation

deserves com

As he so clearly

states: the complexity of the
Income Tan form owioa
Wagracc

Aad [agree with him that
the federal income tan
people luxuriate in its
growing Complexity thear
sec Qons and departments
crow yobs  omeore secure
positions enhanccd

Hf the federal people are
sincere oan talking — stalf

reduction thas ots oa
thoularty fertile arca

Ron Huntington
other distmet MEPS should
that oa copy of

Wrights aracte reaches the

par
ands the

crasurc

proper wuthorties to

lawa

Cordon Brand
North Vancouver

—NOW.on-the NORTH-SHORE-
FIRST TIME EVER!
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Mr. Mattress 842.W 15th N.Y.

much per person, and would
this small amount be worth
the gamble
Fb Potter

North Vancouver

ANNUAL
MEETING

RED CROSS

North Vancouver
ST. ANDREWS
CHURCH
1044 St. Georges

MAR. 7th
8:00 P.M.

_ Save to 50%
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980-6715
ke Ranven Luentver

increased by 85% while
policing, for example, in-
creased by 19%. During the
same period, general
government and_ public
works have decreased by 0%
and 15% respectively.

To answer some questions
raised on alternate sources
of funds, I should point out
that land sale funds used for
capital expenditures such as
major road construction or
community revitalization
programs are, by law, only
available to cover capital

“ttems. They cannot be re-

directed to cover day to day
operating costs in running
the municipality.

We. your council
members, also have homes *
and families in our com-
munity and would be relying
upon our fire department in
emergency situations. We
have reviewed and discussed
this program = and _ its

discontinuance and six of
your seven representatives
approved the action taken.
We feel safe and adequately
protected by

the level of

prac is

Boutique

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| (across from the SeaBus)

service which existed in our
municipality some _ eleven
months ago and so should
you.

It is never easy to reverse
a decision made previously
but I would like to think that
our taxpayers have some
confidence in the council
they have elected. I know
this decision was based on
research and reason. It will
be a sad day when any
council predicates its
budgeting on fear and
unilateral pressure. I hope
that response to our action
will be received not only
from those opposing, but
from those who appreciate it
as a difficult but resposible
decision reflecting the best

N

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They had heard of this

Mayor rebuts mini-pumper ‘inaccuracies’

interests of our community
at this time.

Marilyn Baker
Mayor
North Vancouver

Woodward

CORRECTION
In the 99° Day fiyer, selling
through Saturday. March 5S. ttem
#45, tooth brush holder and soap
Nnotder, ~ does not include
toothbrush. #60, Playing Cards
are plastic coated, not plastic
Woodward's apologizes to its
customers for any inconvenience
these errors may have caused

the NEW

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11:30 Mon.-Sat.
Open at 4 p.m
Sundays & Holidays

SHA9DNNE—AHOINO—AV

The great