Sunshine Coast Queen and the Paid For
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imiiwrni1 mquMHwiyma^MUBi^imii^ pmvtm^aiipB Provincial Library, Victoria, B. C. LAST WEEK'S WEATHER Low High Rain May 8 . IOC i8C m .May 9 8C 21C 4.1mm May 10 9C 12C 19.1mm May 11 5C 16C 0.5mm May 12 9C 13C 4.6mm May 13 7C 15C 0.3mm Published at Gibsons, B.C. May 18,1976. May 14 5C 16C ml Volume 29, Number 20 15* per copy Week's Rain 28.6mm May53.3mm on newsstands 1976-611.3 mm. Zm «v iKS'l )M*Jj%ml£il^!^^\WZJm£Sr H mJm^mi 4~^. j~\. "• II ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ v Clliil mws\f £*&*d±wc* rid It lff^*T**,*~~^*^*lAh^^*^^ _ nflj II 0 I 1 • m B fl fl~^*fe fl m~^ E *•! H fl grw fl H JL CI A X C S byROBDYKSTRA heading for Calgary that night and the delay meant he could not ''If the ferry rates don't go down, we'll keep this up all year visit friends in Vancouver. He added, however, that he could see round." the point of the demonstration. - Those were the words in one of the songs especially dedi One man expressed some art-- cated to B.C. Premier Bill Bennett last Sunday when an esti ger at demonstrators because he mated 500 people jammed the Langdale ferry terminal, many to said he carried a cargo of 6500 ? protest the recent announcement that ferry rates will increase live plants in his truck and that if and resident commuter cards would be discontinued. they died they would have to be Both the 1:30 sailing of the Sunshine Coast Queen and the paid for. 3 p.m. Langdale Queen sailing left the Langdale docks (Continued on Page 7) practically empty as cars, trucks and demonstrators blocked the loading lanes. Foot passen- gers were allowed to proceed on Department patrolmen were also STA& GPU -board.. 7 present. .'•'••.'. Both boats were allowed to un Demonstrators protested the join protest load from the Horseshoe Bay run increased fares effective June 1 but the unloading process was -when passenger rates will go up Both the Sechelt Teachers As slow as demonstrators with pla from $2 per person to $4 per per sociation and the Port Mellon cards walked slowly in front of son and auto rates up from $6 to local of the Canadian Paperwork- the vehicles as they came off the S10. Residents also want to keep ers Union, with a combined mem -ferry ramp. commuter cards which give them bership of 500, have officially When the ships pulled away ' an approximate 40% discount. protested the upcoming increase from their slips the crowd cheered Although Sunday's demonstra in ferry rates and the elimination and applauded the virtually emp tion, was peaceful, some people in ofthe resident commuter card. ty departure. the ferry •;• line up were under In a statement released Sun It is not known how many cars standably annoyed at the delay.. day, STA president George Mat were waiting in line to board the Most of those asked, however, thews said that while the teachers ferries but officials estimated at did say that they had to agree in this area'will be affected by the end of the demonstration that with the demonstrators' griev the increases as much as any there would be a three or four ances. '•••••• other residents, there are further hour delay. The usually heavy .A .Powell River man, Art implications.for education in this Sunday afternoon traffic headed Pampu, said he could control his. area. .:,',• -.''•••:,•/. .,':-•.'',•. for Vancouver compounded the impatience because the increased ', He said that many students.in crowding situation. The demon rates would force him and his this district travelled to Vancou stration brolce up shortly after 3 family to pay $34 every time he ver regularly for various kinds of p.m. just after the Langdale wanted to go to Vancouver. He supplementary education not av Queen left the wharf. Traffic said he had heard about the pro ailable on the coast. He gave line ups at that time stretched test and came down to the ter musk lessons,' specialized athlet back almost a mile along Highway minal at 12:30 in die hopes of ic activities, spedal education ac 101 to the Soames Point area. boarding the 1:30boat. He didn't tivities, and public libraries as Both Sechelt and Gibsons get on until 4 o'clock. examples. RCMP were on the scene,- two Another person from Alberta' The executive committee of the THE SUNSHINE COAST QUEEN is nearly the 1:30 departure. Sunshine Coast residents, / elimination of the commuter card by blocking uniformed policemen and two in also waiting in the lineup said he STA decided last Tuesday to pass tr plain clothes. Three Highways .was dpappoint.e4b«ause*e #a*» empty as:sh* prepares4o leave Her berth for protested the Increase IrHerrf riiteVartd tne* ^'trstffic for: tWbo^jgs*^ -T^-^- L (CMtfaMdwPafiTy'« •• McNevin meets the press SCRD Chairman John McNevin have been trying to arrange a create is endless, so we there the board was concerned over the has announced that a press con meeting with the Hon. Jack Davis fore ask the Premier of this! pro-' fact that the two Social Credit ference will be held at the Hotel to discuss the devasting effects vince, the Honourable Bill Ben ridings of Saanich and the Islands Vancouver on Tuesday to air the the new ferry rates will have on nett, to use his authority and.stop .c and West Vancouver Howe Sound Sunshine Coast's grievances over our communities. We have been any increases to'the rates until which are represented by Munici the ferry rate increases. Powell told that June is the earliest a we, as elected representatives, pal Affairs Minister Hugh Curtis River Regional District Chairman meeting can be set up, leaving us have had a meeting with him and and Labor Minister Alan Williams H. Lennox and Powell River May- . dealing with a "fait accompli" his ministers and:try to rationally have received consideration while 7or W. Hart will represent the , done with no rational input from deal with the effects these will it has still remained impossible Powell River region at the confer, the people affected^ have on us. To do less than this for; the 7SCRD and the Powell ence. Larry Labonte and Harold "There being no other means would indicate a callousness to River Regional District to get an Nelson of Gibsons and Sechelt of reasonably priced transporta people's needs that I would find appointment before June. Repre councils will represent the two vil tion available, the B.C. Ferries abhorrent in a democratic soci sentatives of the other two areas lages and it is hoped that a repre are our highways, and should be ety." 7; have already met with the cabinet sentative of the Sechelt Indian so treated. We already enjoy the At last Thursday night's meet and as a result their commuter *Band might also attend. highest gasoline prices in B.C., ing the board further passed a fares have been restored and for Reprinted below is an official higher grocery costs, clothing, motion to the effect that since the'Gulf Islands an additional pre statement issued by John Mc- etc., high and growing higher consideration had been given to sent of free travel between the iNevin on behalf of the SCRD at numbers of unemployed. To add a the special needs of the people of Islands has been initiated. 'the last meeting: 300% increase on ferry users will the Gulf Islands and Bowen Is McNevin further stated that a • "Our board in conjunction.with be an intolerable load on these land that the provincial govern half fare on weekdays commuter l: the Mayors of the Village of Se- communities and must be stop ment now must reconsider its rate such as the other areas have, 'chelt,'Gibsons, Powell River and . ped-. '..' •'• . position in regard to the Sunshine received is not good enough for 'the Powell River Regional District "The list of problems this will Coast. It was clearly implied that the Sunshine Coast and Powell River runs. McNevin wants the commuter status to be good seven days a week. ' local funding .... A telegram from Davis, issued on the day of the fare increase an More financial participation ph jacent . subdivision and paradox built making it available to both , nouncement in. reply to the • the part of the villages and the re ically, the subdivision Will' in the students and the residents in recommendations of Sunshine gional district has been called for crease the student population of that community. Coast Citizens Committee on 't»y the school board. the school. She added that such a recrea- Ferries, was also released at the PROTESTERS'.slow down cars as they come off the Susy-Q during last Sunday's demonstration. The board, in a meeting at Commenting on this later, ' tion facility could be built at a meeting. The telegram informs :Langdale' School last Thursday, School Board Chairman Celia considerable saving to the com the, committee that increased 'passed, a motion that suggests to Fisher said that because the munity because there would be no' fares were not meant to meet 'local governments that land be school board was not notified of site costs involved, that having al ferry costs and that this run would Recycling budget accepted by SCRD put aside in new sub-divisions for the subdivision the entire school ready been provided by the school still be heavily subsidized by the gun last fall. At. last Thursday night's" Sun the board had been rejected be ^future-school sites and that the district will bear the costs of re district.