March 13, 1992 108 pages

Office, Editorial 985-2131

THE DISCOUNT sale of cigarettes from North Shore
native reserves drew fire Saturday from a disgruntled cor-

ner store retailer.

Last year both the Squamish
and Burrard bands opened outlets
to sell cheap smokes to non-native
puffers.

Local retailers who sell ciga-
tettes say they are being burned

a by the native competition.
Harry Bloy protested Saturday

3 pas

REACHING

By Michael Becker
News Reporter

morning in front of a
smoke shop. oper.
Squamish Band N

te ek et
Sees LT Gai?

—— i

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NEWS pnoto Stuart Davis

THE NORTH Shore Light Opera Society opened its season fast night at North Van's Centen-
nial Theatre with Gilbert and Sullivan's Jolanthe. The cast includes (in foreground) Liam
Kearns as Strephon and Sara Jane Biles as Phyllis with (on the right) Richard Smart as Lord
Chancellor. The cast of 35 will give several performances of the comedy farce through the

end of March. See story page 15.

sales burn

Tax-free cigarettes from native
reserves unfair, says retailer

in North Vancouver. Smokers
buying by the carton at the shop
pay about $8 per carton less than
the average cost charged at non-
reserve stores.

Natives can purchase tax-free
cigarettes directly from
distributors. Status Indians are
not required to pay provincial or
federal taxes on reserves. They are
required te collect sales tax from
non-native customers.

ierchant

But Bloy alleges that native dis-
count prices are possible because
taxes are not being collected from
non-native cigarette buyers.

Bloy received mixed reaction
while picketing.

“It was pretty well split evenly
between getting the finger and
thumbs up,”* he said.

Bloy has asked provincial Fi-
nance Minister Glen Clark to con-
sider placing a police officer and a
provincial tax collector at the en-
trance of every reserve cigarette
store to collect provincial taxes
due from consumers

Bloy'’s ta forcement
proposal received lukewarm reac-
tion from North Vancouver-
Lonsdale MLA David Schreck.

“What this guy is essentially
advocating is that a road should
be barricaded and that people be
searched for cigarettes,’’ Schreck
said.

can appreciate the individu-
al’s irritation. I don’t think it is
the end of the world. | would feel
very uncomfortable about putting
up iron curtains on any road. |
think the issue has to be deter-
mined as to its legality."’

Last month the provincial fi-
nance ministry pulled the sales
permit of a vendor selling dis-
counted cigarettes from a store
near Park Royal South on the
Squamish Band Capilano Reserve.

See New page §