NEWS BRIEFS Cabbie robbed

A KNIFE-wielding man robbed a North Shore Taxi driver on Feb. 17.

According to a North Vancouver RCMP spokesman, the incident occurred at apy. oximately 10:30 p.m.

The suspect was picked up near Third Street and Lonsdale Avenue.

He instructed the driver to take him to an area near the Maplewood Market in the 2100-block of Dollarton Highway. When the car arrived near its destination, the mas puiled out a six-inch knife and robbed the cabbie of an undisclosed amount of cash.

The suspect is described as being a white male, 18 to 20 years of age, 5°8’’ to 5°10" tall, weighing approxi- mately 150 pounds, with collar-length, greasy blond hair. He hes an acne-covered face and was wearing a grey track suit and running shoes at the time of the robbery.

Suspect sought

A MAN wearing a paper.bag over his head robbed a North Vancouver convenience store Feb. 17.

According to a North Vancouver RCMP spokesman, the suspect robbed the Mac's store located at 4710 Capilano Rd. at approximately 12:30 a.m.

The man entered the store, produced 2 12-inch hunting knife and demanded money from an esaployee. The employee surrendered an undisclosed quantity of cash, and the suspect fled on foot.

Despite the bag ploy, the employee managed to pro- vide the police witk a description of the suspect. The man is described as being a white male, 26 to 28 years of age, 5°6’’, approximately 170 pounds, with brown shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. The man was wearing a blue coat and blue jeans.

Arson attempted

THE NORTH Vancouver RCMP are investigating an arson attempt. - According to a police spokesman, the incident occur- red sometime overnight between Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 at 782 Browning PI.

The owner of a house under construction found that someone had forced the basement door and used an ac- celerant to try to set the house on fire.

Settlement reached

WEST VANCOUVER'S District 45 School Board has reached a contract settlement with the West Vancouver Municipal Employees Association. .

The agreement calls for a 6% wage increase for the first year, which runs from July 1991 to June 1992, followed by a 2.7% increase for the second year, which tuns from July 1992 to June 1993.

The contract covers all District 45 staff employed in the custodial, clerical, maintenance and teaching-assistant departments.

The 1990 wage scale for association members ranged

* from $1,466 per month to $2,963 per month.

Mike Harcourt said Monday.

Speaking to a North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting, Harcourt said the con- struction of the $130-million superferry is vital to maintaining jobs in B.C. shipyards.

“We have decided to proceed with a second superferry. This is not a no- growth province, people want to come here,’”’ said Har- court. ‘‘We’re going to continue to grow, and we have an aging ferry fleet. We think it was a sound decision to proceed with a second superferry.’*

He added that the construction of the 470-vehicle vessel will pro- vide a gocd base upon which to build the province’s maritime in- dustry.

“That superferry will not only meet the increasing service de- mands, but it will also provide stability for our shipbuilding in- dustry. I don’t have to tell you here on the North Shore that that’s a very important starting point,”’ said Harcourt. ‘‘it will provide 2 very good boost to employment during a very dif- ficult period to the Novth Shore, Delta and Esquimalt shi pyards.’’

North Vancouver-rased Allied Shipbuilders Ltd. hz:, been award- ed the contract to build the for- ward hull section of the second superferry. Allied workers are nearing completion of a superferry bow section for the first $119- million superferry.

The $6.5-million project has provided employment for approx- imately 80 Allied workers. Allied

- president Arthur McLaren said the

value of the second contract is about the same as the price of the first superferry bow section.

Speech highlights

HIGHLIGHTS FROM a specch delivered by Premier Mike Har- court to the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce on Mon- day.

@ On budget issue: ‘My gov- ernment is committed to getting B.C.’s spending priorities right. Right now we’re going through a very difficult budget exercise and dealing with the financial situation we have inherited. We're facing a

International

Women’s Day Events Thursday, March 5

The community is invited to attend:

OPEN LECTURES 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Several College faculty will be dedicating their lectures to women’s issues on this day.

We get lots of i thank you letters. j

a Sylvan Learning Centre* gives your | child individualized help in reading, } writing, math, algebra, study skills, homework support and time man- agement. To learn more, call Syivan* today.

Syivan — E COLLEGE

COMMUNITY FORUM 1:00 - 6:00 p.m. Information tables will be set up in Room Al17 by local community groups. A buffet will be offered from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m.

THE MARY CATHERINE PATERSON

LECTURE 7:30 p.m. Room A117

Dr. Marjorie Cohen will be speaking on

“Economics — the New Age Defense for Women”.

All events are open to the public and admission is free. A schedule of the day’s events is available in the Students’ Union office, Room NI16, or by calling 984-4953.

2055 Purcell Way » North Vancouver ¢ B.C.

Sunday, March 1, 1992 - North Shore News - 5

Ferry job an industry boost, Harcourt telis NV Chamber

THE PROVINCIAL government’s decision to build a se- cond S-class superferry should provide much-needed sup- port to B.C.’s depressed shipbuilding industry, Premier

By Surj Rattan ‘ News Reporier

budget deficit in this fiscal year, 1991-92, of $2 billion. That was clearly unacceptable. I gave in- structions as soon as we found out that information that we had to cut back, and we have. We've chopped over 21 days over $1 billion, and we’re taking other steps to make sure that we're go- ing to make some tough choices to return B.C. to fiscal health. It’s going to be a tough couple of years.””

@ On ccrnomic issues: ‘‘We’re guided by our bottom line belief that the economy must work for the people, all the people. As social democrats we believe that there’s a significant and positive role for the government to play. If you don’t grab a hold of your deficit and start to bring it down in an orderly way, you'll get killed by the compounding of the in- crease of the base of your budget, the interest you have to borrow then compounds. Then you get in- to the deadly, slippery slope that

we've gotten into at the national level in this country.”"

@ On the 8.C. film industry: ““We’re taking initiatives...our Minister of Tourism and Culture, Darlene Marzari, is working close- ly with the film industry which is very important here on the North Shore and throughout B.C. We've become the third major film pro- duction centre in North America after Los Angeles and New York, so eat your heart out Toronto.”’

@ On government initiatives: “Qur government has created a new ministry for women’s equality to assist and eliminate the disparities between women and men. We've funded a_ school meals program which is going to feed up to 50,000 kids in com- munities throughout this province to assist them in their learning.

@ On aboriginal land claims issue: ‘“‘We’ve taken the position that it’s time to negotiate fair and honorable settlements to the land claims issue. It’s not just a matter of justice. We think it’s an cppor- tunity for a win-win, for everybody to come out of it with a positive result. And I’m sure you've had Chief Joe Mathias, one of the wise leaders in the pro- vince, to come and say just that. We believe that. We're going to make that one of the major initia- tives of our government.”

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