News photos Cindy Goodman

WN, Van fumes over schools

RCMP ESTIMATED. that 400 people braved the wind and chili on Sunday afternoon to further their cause of fair funding for North Vancouver's Schoo! District 44.

Alicia Henderson (left) and Jennifer smith,’ both students in Grade 5 at Blueriage ele- mentary school, offer their anped i .to the campaign, which was organized by the Justice in Education group. Susan Carson, a group co-founder, said parents and students want fair funding for the school district before any cuts are made and representation trom an elected board of trustees.

On Tuesday, the school district released a report from government-appointed trustee — Bob Smith that called for more than $4 mil- lion in cuts to balance next year's budget. But Smith added that Victoria underfunds the dis-

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trict and equitable funding is essential.

Fast ferries bri

jobs to wate

From page %

Construction contracts were awarded Monday to Consolidated Pacific Industries, a consortium: of Vancouver Island shipyards, as well as Vancouver Shipyards, which hasn't built a ship in a year.

Vancouver Shipyards will subcontract prefabrication work to other Lower Mainland shipyards. Catamaran hulls and bridging structures will be built in Lower Mainland shipyards. while the Island companies will cut aluminum plate and prefabricate panels for the decks and superstructures of the high-tech vessels.

Workers and their union representatives thanked Clark and the NE r delivering on the fast ferry and its promise oftjob creation.

Said Bob Eaton, president of Marine and Shipbuilders Union Local 506: “This is just thrilling. We've been in a dark tunnel for so many years and to finally see the light at the end of it is just great.”

The contracts announced by Clark Monday totalled $60 million, with approximately 75%, or $45 million. going to Vancouver Shipyards and its subcontractors.

Clark said he expects 350 jobs to be created through the fast-ferries program. Many of the jobs will require workers to upy wrade their skills at post-secondary insti- tutions that include BCT.

Fast ferries ‘will be built in modules at several ship- yards in B.C, The modules will be assembled at a cen-

tral facility at Pier 94.

North Vancouver City council directed the city's Development Services department to process building and related trades permils for the facility at a council meeting Monday night.

On Oct. 2, 1995, council passed a resolution sup- porting the site as the location for the assembly of BC Ferries’ new fleet. An April 16 open house will give res- idents the opportunity to talk to project team managers and a mailer will be delivered to affected residents in two weeks, said North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA David Schreck.

According to the city report. the assembly building will be 4 metres (135 feed) wide. 140 metres (462 feet) Jong and 25 mictres (82.5 feet) high, Wwice the maximum height currently allowed by the city.

Work on the ferries is to begin immediately, The first of the $70 million vessels is expected to ply the Horseshoe Bay-Nanaimo route in the summer of 1997, with two more of the catamarans in operation in 1998,

That would put the project months behind the origi- nul schedule. In November 1994, BC Ferries said it expected to launch the first vessel in 1996.

The 250-car, 1,000-passenger vessels are expected to make the journey from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo in 65 minutes, 30 minutes tess than the current crossing time. The catamarans are expected to travel at up to 37 knots (68 kilometres per hour).

CFI launch’

From page ; He expects the focus of the

‘marketing efforts to -be the.

“Large, voluinca of pecple have got ta be moved around there,” he sald.)

Ina brash-off to fast-ferry critics, Hamilton said he’s con- fident that BC Ferries can do more than compete with estab- lished fast-ferry builders: “We can best them.”

-Hanailton has been working for.. two years : supplying machinery modules to the East Coast Hibernia oil project. Before that, he spent eight years with the Canadian frigate program in St. John,’

New Brunswick. CFI currently

has seven employees. The launch of CFI has not been without controversy. ‘Progressive Democratic Alliance leader Gordon Wilson said the premier “abandoned democracy” in creating CFI. ' Wilson said the fast-ferry

Project has been drafted in the

‘government back-reoms und ‘ not received any debate within the legislature,