News _ :

Tri-municipal

- Peninsula communitics banded
together in response to a mock
earthquake that would have
brought down much of the Penin-
sula with a force of 6.5. on the
Richter scale, about 7:30 a.m. last
Wednesday.

About 10 hours after the “‘disas-
ter,” municipal leaders and rescuc
agency personnel sat down in Sid-
ney’s Silver Threads meeting
room to take stock and co-ordinaic
a rescue cffort.

The first priority of cach council
was to hold a special council
meeting, declare. a- state of cmer-

--gency and scck provincial assis-
tance if necessary.
_ According to the scenario pre-
sented by the cxercise’s organizers,
help was definitely needed.

The force of the quake destroyed
buildings, disrupted power and
water supplies. and resulted. in
numerous deaths and injuries.

_Sanscha. Hall was completely

_ destroyed, the Waddling Dog Inn
‘was damaged, fire broke out at the
Sidncy RCMP. detachment and a
“major gasoline spill closed the Pat
Bay ‘Highway-at MacDonald: tank
Road.

Numerous people were trapped;

---killed or injured in condominium

developments. along the waterfront
and in residential homes bordering

‘Lochside Drive: —. and no ambu-

: lances: were available.”

Hospital.
oA major” accident. al Beacon

~ Avenue and the Pat Bay Highway”

resulted in’ five. mune and: five
‘deaths. : ~

‘B.C. Ferries ramps at Swartz :
Bay terminal were damaged, leav-

‘ing a loaded’ incoming ferry
: stranded. The. Washington State |

-and unusable in the earthquake

preparcaness exercise. .
Some schools were damaged but

“most. were unoccupied when. the

shockwave swept through the,

Peninsula,

The Closet Factory comes to your “home...

OR many years: closets.

were neglected, however,

this had recently
changed -with many companies
offerings closet organizers. 'To-
day, well planned homes 4 inke
advantage of modern lamin-
ates for towers and shelving,
durable vinyl for smooth lid
ing drawers to create spacious
‘and attractive closets:

“There are many companies”
in the: business and-almost

every: hardware or building

store ill sell-you the compo:

nents for building. your awn
closet organizers... lowever,

there i is only one company that .

“Transportation to. hospital from °-.
Sidney. was difficult: because the ~
-?, Pav. Bay Highway. was: impassable :
‘toward Victoria and between: Sid-:
ney and the, Saanich, Peninsula.’

MOBILE CLOSET FAGTOrT ~~ ~ VOICE PAGER 380-1973,

Areas of North Saanich suffered
less overall damage than other
areas but vulnerable property was
hit hard.

Dunsmuir Lodge and the
Me'havish Road firchall were cov-
ered in a mud slide and several
homes i the Dean Park develop-
ment slid down the mountain,
Panorama Leisure Centre suffered
little damage.

Deep Cove School and the Wain
Road firchall were virtually
unscathed and although some
damage occurred to airport run-
ways, the Pat Bay Airport
remained open. —

Residents on Sidney’s Restha-
ven Island were trapped after the
connecting bridge collapsed and
the neighboring. Shoal Harbour

condominiums were hit hard.

What they did.

Each: municipality was faced
‘with its own problems. and told to
take whatever steps possible to

‘help the Peninsula get through the
night.

The Peninsula’s. ‘Provincial
Emergency Program co-ordinator
Dick Reynolds. provided’ a PEP

- task number used, to requisition

funds. ~
Reynolds outlined’ some of the

- steps already taken, like locking»
“up gas» pumps ‘to’save fucl and .
_asking :the school board’s flect of a

buses to stand by, - :
~ Municipal. couticil members and

~ staff were each directed: come -
- up with a plan’ to deal with: the."
most serious situations. — a:plan.—
“to. get” us: through until lomor- :
” TOW. ois

“99

NORTH. SAANICH” 2).

North Saanich staff and council”
said the first priority was lo secure.
water: reservoirs ‘for: future use,

then try for. a radio announcement”
‘to warn residents. Not to use water
out of taps. |

ferry terminal. was. also damaged .

West Saanich Road in North
Saanich was closed because of.
damage anda doctor and other
people were sent-.up the hill to

Dunsmuir Lodge on horses. fur-

nishcd by members of the Sunset
‘Riding Club. .

drives its factory ri ight, to your

house, parks in your driveway

cand dows the job in ane to throe
hours, ‘Phis: compiany in the
Closet: factory and it isas near
to vou as vour telephone,

Bob Mollows 1s the ownery op-
erator of the. Closet. factory.

Rob spent about five years .

planning, his operat ion and de-

signing. a mobile factory which.
would be ecient without hee

‘ing cumbersome, The mobile

Closet Factory ‘Ys contained iar.
ld-fuot box on the back ‘of wv.

truekeJt is completely. self
aufficient and includes much
things as an.air compressor,

“SIDNEY Y COUNCIL and RCMP officer plan their ir strategy for r dealing with earthquake

North Saanich identified that :

‘ferries. were: available, Sandown

Raceway was in good shape and
the Institute: of Ocean Sciences

_ could be uscd.

The leisure centre was identifi ied

“as a reception arca for persons

needing help:and the arena. was

sesignated asa | temporary morgue. -

_ CENTRAL SAANICH
“In Central Saanich, staff and:
council said police ‘vehicles were:
operating, so. police: broadcasted

“instructions to residents © on men
public: address systems.

Water “in“an. area: ‘quarry. was

‘identified. for later’ use’ and‘ resi-
~ dents would be instructed to leave
> a chair: at the. end. of ‘their. drive
“ways ‘if water was needed. °

A ‘hot- ‘wired Butler. Bros:

cement mixcr. was hauling watcr,
‘which could taste a tittle” gritty.

Shelters were cstablished in the

~ Friendship Baptist Church and the

Library/Cultural Centre in Bren-
iwood Bay.

Sielly’s School was- deliberately
left open.in case it was necded as
can alternative health care facility.

East Saanich. and Central Saa-

un Roads: were in the. best shape

Advertisement ;

Review

and Keating Crossroad was: passa- .

ble.
SIDNEY -

Sidney staff and council said the
best lines of travel were Canora,
Ocean and Sterling Way.

Personnel were immediately —
sent to the McTavish. Road reser-
voir to sccure the. water in reserve.

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church,
Silver Threads and Sidney School

were designated ‘reception areas:

and ‘Parkland. School could be

opened up. 0 es ;

A snowplow was.sent to clear

"mud. and ‘debris: off. Lochside’.
os Drive. and_the ‘new firehall was. |
designated ‘as an emergency coor-. .

dination centre. - -

for the ‘future.

Police were also asked 10 advise.
“the public to turn off water,: where
to go for help and to avoid Beacon
- Avenue because of falling facades.

Sidney decided rescuers

couldn’t be risked to. work at the
collapsed Shoal Harbour develop-
ment and asked for: provincial
help.

A communications centre . was

cs

drill press,
usnal tools and cupboards and

~. shelves necessary toon amuall

factory,

Call Bol on his Voice Pager
for fast service 888-1973 or
evening at 696-0902. Bob runs
now cust operation and passes
on tho savings to. yous dust

n cul. off anw, the

. BOB FOLLOWS at work in the Mobile Closot Factory.

leave a message nnd he will pret

back to you as soan ns he:
finishes the job he is doing. His,

possible to have him come to
cyour home, pfive you an esti:
mate, and have the job com:
pletely done within a few
hours, Mstimates are frees We

USCS double ( ranted pro-fitvishe a

Wednesday, November 29, 1989 — Ald

rescue effort as ‘earthquake’ hits ©

“opened to the public until an

‘likely. suffer the least damage and.
~ would be opened’ first.

~ and’ were : -available; officials said.
RCMP. officers: were asked lo.

~<-lock up Thrifty Foods and Safeway we
store to provide a source of food ;

"ity ‘was lo. create crews to. inspect
‘buildings, then find, staff, with
~ appropriate keys, to man the build-
ings. :

_ was only one doctor on duty when

: doctors live in Victoria and likely —

By BYRON BARKER

sev ans wisnessi ine sarenaciregeduniameecatniesfstet awn penrancatt 7

“established i in the basement of the
town hall, using ham radio opera-
tors from the Saanich Peninsula rs
Amateur Radio Club. _

SCHOOL DISTRICT |
- Saanich School District 63 offi-
cials said ‘schools wouldn’t: be

engineer had inspected each build-
ing for: structural damage.
Single-storey.” ‘schools would:
a a
One bus was in the Willis Point

area and another eight were within ~~

minutes, of the yard. when the *
quake hit. All returned to the yard

Two. shop: mechanics. could. be

made. available. ; :
The school district’ s first. prior-:

HOSPITAL
‘Hospital officials reported there

the quake hit and. several staff

- Continued on Page A22

K-3 edge ‘panned panels and

plastic clad dowling. There are
no sharp metal edges or unfin-..
ished corners to snag your Bar: -
ments,

In addition to thee loset orgie
nizers, Bob will do custom
shelving aud mirror. doors for
you. AyP of his mate rinks are
purchase A locally, (hare are neg

fonpe waits for mite rials or fae

Lory. shut, downs,

are re