1,200 pot

plants seized

Anna Marie D'Angelo __

News Reporter dangeln@nsnews.com

NORTH Vancouver Mounties netted more than 1,200 marijuana plants on Friday in the biggest pot bust ever on the North Shore.

The raid took place in a warehouse at 1485 Welch St. Police estimate that the mar- ijuana scized was worth $2.5 million.

A 84-year-old Vancouver man is facing charges. His name was not released.

Prior to the raid, a man reportedly came out of the warehouse and walked up to an undercover police officer using a cell phone. The man reportedly told the officer, “You can’t go in there with- out a search warrant.”

Police subsequently exe- cuted their search warrant. The warehouse set-up was in operation for an_ estimated eight months. The ware- house has $11,000 owing on its Hydro bill.

Hydroponic — marijuana raids usually net about 150 marijuana plants on the North Shore, according to a North Vancouver RCMP drug section officer.

Police were tipped off about the Welch Street grow-operation after an off- duty North Vancouver Mountie was training at the Edge Climbing Centre. The climbing centre is located in the same building as the warchouse.

See Police page §-

| Rubble on the waterfront

+ eee}

NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge

AL Smith of King Kubota Services tears into a house at 1520 Argyle. The house was demolished Tuesday to make way for more park land along the West

Vancouver waterfront at Ambleside.

NY City’s ownership of

seas water

THE Seven Seas floating restaurant has a right to remain berthed at the foot of Lonsdale Avenue, says the lawyer for owner Diamond Almas.

Joe Spears filed a starement of defence April 30 in Federal court, claiming Almas’ historic ex- ferry should not have to move from its home of 40 years.

“It is a term of the contractual arrangements between the parties that the vessel was to remain on the No-ti Vancouver waterfront and operate as a floating restaurant,” said Spears’ defence statement. “lt has done so since on or about November !1, 1959.”

Spears s.id the water lot lease should be renewed as hing as the vessel remains seaworthy and safe. He said it is seaworthy and “meets the regulatory requirements of a Canadian registered

lot disputed

vesse] engaged in the restaurant trade.” Seven Seas’ hull and machinery are insured at S? mil- lion each. Almas has paid the city rent for the water lot since 1996, City hall began its cam- paign to move the Seven Seas with the first of three eviction notices on Sept. 30, 1998.

The city filed a lawsuit in Federal court on March 18 asking a judge tor the right to remove the floating restaurant. The city said it owns the water lot where the Seven Seas is berthed.

The Seven Seas, built in 1941, was originally called ferry No. 5. It carried both vehicles and passengers between Vancouver and North Vancouver until Aug. 30, 1958.

Spears disputes the city’s authority over the water lot. He said the lease should be governed by Canadian Maritime Law, instead of a civic

bylaw. —Bob Mackin

Causeway work this summer

From page 1

the question. “That's a target we hope to reach but we know we can do it in 40; or our contractor can do it in 40,” Doyle said, adding the number was calculated based on experience from the 1975 northern viaduct overhaul.

But West Vancouver-Capilano MLA Jeremy Dalton called the project package a band-aid solu- tion rather than a Tong-rerm cure,

“Nothing is gained by this announcement,” said Dalton. “Three lanes is three lanes; a status quo causeway is unsafe and bike lanes do not accom- modate Lo:ver Mainland traffic concerns.”

The consortium of Surespan and American Bridge Canada offered the best balance of bridge closures and contract price of the three finalists’ submissions. “We're pretty happy to be associated with it; especially as it’s a West Van job,” said Nigel Bester president of surespan whose client list includes provincial Crown corporations such as BC Hydro, the B.C. Ministry of Forests, BC Rail and the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways.

The contractors will only need one or two night closures per week along with three weekend closures (10 p.m. Friday to 6. a.m. Monday) and two Sunday closures (10 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Monday) to do the work.

The first weekend closure will be in January 2000 — the month construction starts — the second probably in March and the final one in June. The last weekend closure will likely be followed by the two Sunday closures.

“That’s still up in the air,” Doyle said. “We have to wait till the contractor is out there doing the work. Then we'll know exactly what time we'll need. Plus we'll be able to nail down exactly what days.”

West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce president John Clark is happy with the reduced number of closures.

“This is great news for the North Shore and for everyone who uses the bridge,” he said. “We realize the cost of the bridge project has increased, but we believe it is well worth the added expense because it means there won't be a drastic

LIBERAL

impact on the communities closest to the bridge.” Park Royal director Rick Amantea said his group anticipated a 10% to 15% business decline due to prolonged bridge closures. “We have worked ard over the past several months to outline how detrimental 150 nights, and in particular, week- end closures, would be to businesses on both sides of the bridge,” he said. North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce chair- man Adrian Parker agreed with Clark, saying, “Reduced bridge closures mean that businesses and communities on the North Shore will not suffer during the reconstruction work. This is the right way to proceed with the project.” North Vancouver City Mayor Jack Loucks also expressed pleasure with the announcement.

“The Lions Gate Bridge will be a much safer facility with the improvements the province has added. It's very encourag- ing that the project is moving forward.”

Included in the $99.8 million price tag is:

# a complete seismic: upgrade of the bridge and north viaduct to meet the latest earthquake standards;

& a stronger bridge deck based on new national highway con- struction standards;

@ traffic lanes to be widened from 2.9 metres to 3.5 m;

B sidewalks to be widened from 1.3 m to 2.67 m with nwo metres clear width for safer cycling and pedestrian access;

@ four large viewing platforms at the bridge towers;

B new traffic control and monitoring equipment to improve safety;

@ rehabilitation of the Stanley Park causeway surface;

@& improved drainage and run-off coutrol in Stanley Park;

@ improved lighting.

The first phase of the project will involve rehabilitation of the two-kilometre Stanley Park causeway and will begin this summer. The most extensive phase of the project will be removal and replacement of the bridge deck that is targeted to begin in January, 2000. The project’s completion is targeted for the fall of 2000.

MLA Jeremy Dalton... inadequate plan.

Wednesday, May 5, 1999 — North Shore News - 3

Injured cyclist setties

Claim concluded out of court Bob Mackin

News Reporter

A North Vancouver cyclist injured in a clash with Lions Gate Bridge construction workers settled out of court April 29.

Larry Zimich was knocked off his bicyele by pwo workers Oct. 14, 1997 as he rode on the span’s sidewalk. The workers, emploved by KWH Constructors, elbowed Zimich and gave his bicycle a kick. They wanted to draw Zimich’s attention to a “cyclists dismount” sign.

Zimich is lucky to be alive. He ended up on the car deck of the bridge where motorists came to a screeching halt. Zimich crawled to the sidewalk, but was taken to hospital and treated for a broken shoulder and displaced hip.

Zimich was on his way to downtown Vancouver for 2 meeting with competitive cycling sponsors.

The incident came less than a month after Zimich and wife Barb returned from a triumphant trip to the world cycling cham- pionships in Austria. Larry was the gold medallist in the 12-kilo- metre hill climb, while Barb won the 40-km road race.

Although he said no confidentiality agreement was signed, Zimich woulc not disclose the amount he will receive in the set- tlement with the provincial government contractor. He said he was secking damages in the range of $40,000, “burt we settled for considerably less, ‘

“Ir was enough to cover the damages that I suffered, and that’s pretty well it,” Zimich said. “That wasn’t really what I was after.”

What Zimich was after were better conditions for cyclists and pedestrians on the 60-year-old bridge.

“We haven't scen anything done about the sidewalk. Nothing seems to get done unti] somebody dies and then somebody might have a look at it then. I don’t want anybody to have to come any closer than | did.”

As part of the $99.8-million bridge renovation announced Saturday, vehi- cle lanes will be widened from 2.9 metres to 3.5 m. Sidewalks, which will be moved to the exterior of the span, will be only 70 centimetres wider than the current 1.3 m width.

The new sidewalks will be so smooth that even inline skaters will be happy, boasts the B.C. Transportation Financing Authority’s Lions Gate Bridge web site.

Zimich is encouraged by the plan to separate the sidewalks from traffic, but widening won’t automatically prevent future confrontations berween pedestrians and cyclists.

“Walkers, rollerbladers, cyclists, they all have to respect each other out there, same as when we're on the road,” he said. “We have co respect cars, same as cars have to respect us.

“Creating a big huge wide sidewalk isn’t going to stop some- body from getting in the way of somebody else.”

Zimich said he wanted to settle out of court rather than wait any longer and press the issue before a judge.

“} wanted to put an end to it and get on with life. I want to get going with this year’s competitive season.”

Zimich could not work for six months, but returned to com- petition in the spring of 1998. Last year’s plans were parially dashed when he was forced to miss the Canadian national cham- pionships and qualifying for the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

“Ie was a long, tedious road back. It was frustrating for myself, my sponsors, my wife.”

A KWH receptionist, who would only identity herself as Cher, said none of the company’s executives wanted to comment.on the matter. a

KWH worker Kevin James Reynolds was charged with assault- ing Zimich, but acquitted by Provincial court Judge William J. Kitchen on Jan. 11. Kitchen said Reynolds didn’t strike Zimich’s bicycle with the intent to injure Zimich, nor did he know his action would cause serious injuries,

“I can’t conclude that in kicking at the bicycle he knew it was going to fail on the road or he knew that there was a danger that it would likeiy fall on the road.”

In his reasons for judgment, Kitchen said it wasn't surprising an incident like this happened.

He said it’s unrealistic to expect cyclists to dismount while traveling over such a long bridge. Cyclists, by nature, are inter- ested in getting to their destinations faster than by walking, Kitchen said.

“Let’s accept as a fact of life that they’re going to keep riding if we permit them on the bridge.”

Pedestrians and cyciists should be segregated, he said. “They should either have pedestrians on one sidewalk and the cyclists on the other so the cyclists can knock each other into the traffic with alacrity, if they wish, but leave the pedestrians to themselves or maybe cyclists have to be banned from the bridge completely.”

CYCLIST Larry Zimich seeks har- mony with walkers.