PENINSULA NEWS REVIEW @ Dance With the Fabulous |.’ VICTORIA LATIN BEAT. 1° “The Hot Salsa Makers” Review asked you: Last week, the provincial government announced a comprehensive graduated licensing plan for new drivers. Part of that plan in- cludes a six-month learner stage, zero tolerence for alcohol, displaying a New Driver sign in the vehicle, limit of two passengers — one of whom must be an adult with a valid licence — and driving allowed only between the hours of 5 a.m. and midnight. This week The Review asked; What do you think of these new LFegulartions? ) “Presents... LOS CAN ASTEROS FLAMENCO VIVO PERFORMANCE — rel ag 18/98 ¢ DINNER ¢ SHOW: DANCE - = First Time in the Peninsula. All You Can Eat Buffet * Cocktails 6: 00 pm... . » Dinner 7:30 pm ¢ Show Follows: 819 5th Street, Sidney eae 7608: Aimee Chabette. 2 - Chris Clark _ Sidhey _ Brentwood Bay Laurie Prittie | Pam Spence — Sidney, . oa _ Sidney. 3: : ° ‘totally agree with that. as "I think it’s fair: In fact, it it’s re totally agree. “with | it. Le: , think it’s « stupid. ‘Young! We’ re surrounded by drug. probably 2 a really good i idea. I [don’t have 2: ‘problem with it 2 people: are mostly just a wild. - io _-and alcohol abuse and being ‘guess my only concern is how oe vat all. In my opinion, it’s go-.. and ‘crazy. bunch: of. people _ out on the road with someone ‘this new’ system ‘will be en- ~~ ing to save lives. I think the’ out looking. for a good time under the influence just isn’t: forced, and is it a good. use of police will have a hard time --and- most. of that fun happens: a7 - safe: I don’t like the idea of our police forces?” ~ the:: . after'2 o’clock in the morn: | ; being out on ‘the road. with ing. If you can’t. ‘be out dri “some young ‘drink: behind ng, I) = it’s defi intel Bor » the. wheel of another car. I 40 pt 4 don’t want to be a victim nic Driving in winter is not great thrill for most Canadians, “enough to dodge trafficjams and nutcake drivers in good) weathe -*When you have to fret about. black i ice and. white outs, a lot of t u ‘would like to hang up the car keys until say, late April» se “That's not the way itis in Yellowknife. A lot of drivers upi in nthe “And down you go, > : or oe capital city of the North West Territories can’t wait for the real cold... Despite precautions, tr Hei go cough the ice with s some POR ee weather, Professional drivers, I'm talking about. Long-distance — larity, That's why many drivers refuse to close their doors when . truckers and heavy-load haulers. The dead of winter is their busiest they're on the ice, It’s also why the companies forbid their drivers [ _ season. That's when, ina ‘silence usually broken only by the croak >: to wear. seatbelts, When you're in the cab of an 18-wheeler going i‘ -. ofravens and the howling of wolves, you hear the growl of 18.whecl- a through the ice into deep black water, every second counts... IS pI y. if: ruck’ comes to shore too fast, ‘the ‘underwater wave it’s p shing rebounds from the shore ‘with enough force to explode ‘the ice between the truck and ary. land. ee ‘ ers — whole convoys of them — snaking out across the land... Marvin Robinson knows the feeling. He’s the president of RTL ‘They are taking advantage of icy roads to deliver thousands of : _Robingon Enterprises Limited. Each winter his firm builds anet- » fons of cargo deep into the Canadian hinterland. oso ce ee -work of ice roads that, if they ran ina straightline, would stretch from Toronto to Halifax. Marvin wears a suit and tie most days, but he knows how to get through the gears of a tractor-trailer, -. He knows what it’s like to lose one through « “the ice, too. Robinison’s hands are big and meaty, -| like a hockey player’s and the tips of his fingers ._ |. -will never be confused. with those of aBay Street “1 stockbroker.’ _. His fingernails are misshapen and amarled. “¢ Thatwould be from the time the truck he was ~ driving along the Mackenzie River started to - go down and Robinson jumped out — vight into an open patel of fast-moving water, Sec.» onds away from being swept under the ice to ~ his certain death, Robinson clawed and wrig: gled like'a madman, somehow managing to |: _ break the river's grip and haul his nody upon © The ice roads only. last for: about three [~~ ~ months, The ice isn't thick enough before Christ- |. “mas and it’s too risky by early April. So the truck- “ers get just 11 or 12 weeks tos scoot their cargoes. . |; som Yellowknife into remote ‘fly-in’ mines and» camps. Once the ice melts, all supplies have to , ~ comie in by float plane and that's horrendously expensive, Ice roads don’ just ‘happen’, Acrew of work: ers gocs outas soon as the ice is thick enough «|. to plough snow off the lakes along which the: |, ice roads are slated (o run. This allows the ex- posed ice to thicken up. The work crews also : smooth off the: ‘portages'- = the Jand between a ; lakes == by covering them with a mixture of’ oe asic B seo snow and gravel, Just add water and the goop . «, ‘sets like concrete —. sturdy enough to sup. ee Coe - port trucks carrying 45 tons, Ue de “hs et onan ic It’s risky enough to drive through wilderness where there: ar C Luckily, he hnd very tittle feeling left in his anda, which inveant ee euielly zeyo towns; houses and gas stations on your route, but” he couldn't feel the pain caused byt the fact that he! ripped almost “+ when you have to doitin a lumbering vehicle ona layer of ice that, all of his fingernails of f,