MY CONGRATULA- TIONS to John Reynolds, B.C.’s new environment minister. Unlike the lamentable predecessor, I] think Reynolds ac- tually does care about the en- vironment. I realize that he is being bom- barded with criticism because of some injudicious remarks he has apparently made along the way, like claiming that no more dioxins were being spewed into Howe Sound. There are reports of him being in favor of a pulp mill at Britannia Beach and a petrochemical plant at Furry Creek on Howe Sound. These are hardly the utterances of the ultimate eco-freak. Yet, there is much more to Reynolds than meets the eye. I have followed his career over the years. Reynolds is your quintessential conservative of the old mould, which is to say, a principled man who believes in the free enterprise system. It is rather mind-boggling to contemplate the idea that a Socred who supports Greenpeace is now the environment minister in a pro- vince which has traditionally view- ed pollution, in the words of the immortal Phil Gaglardi, as ‘“‘the smell of money.’* Of course, Reynulds’ appoint- ment has to be kept in perspective. The facts of political life are such that you could have the Bud- dha himself in charge of the pro- vincial environment ministry and it still wouldn’t necessarily make one iota of difference when the Cabi- net settled in behind closed doors. It may be, indeed, that there has been a sea change in attitude at the Cabinet level, and certainly the re- cent decision to clamp down on polluting pulp mills is a refreshing departure from tradition. I’m one of those people who believe that the environment is too big an issue to be deposited in the hands of either the Right or the Left. But it is obvious that many people on the Right think that en- vironmentalism is a Left-wing plot. Apart from Howe Sound, there are a couple of specific litmus tests that could be applied to check out Reynolds’ level of commitment to the environment. Let’s start with Lynn Canyon Park. {9$9 FOR YOUR INTEREST $83 The best GIC, TERM DEPOSIT rates every day from the top | Trust Cos. Banks, and Life In- surance Cos. 980-2183 Doug Gartland Great Pacific Management Co. Ltd, 116 E. 3rd St., N. Van. BC. V7L 1E6 Woot Correction Notice Sunday, Nov. 5 1.44-2.44 Days Smoke Shop Magnetic Travel Games Asst. 3/2,44, should have read 1.44 Woolco is sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused its customers. As MLA for West Vancouver- Howe Sound, Reynolds has until now presumably not had to think about this issue too much, since it isn’t technically part of his bailiwick. As environment minister, how- ever, he has a larger interest. In any event, he is undoubtedly aware of the depth of feeling among North Vancouver residents, no matter how determinedly Mayor Marilyn Baker tries to sweep the issue under the rug. L, should be patently obvious to anybody except a crook oran idiot that building 1,900 houses in Lynn Canyon Park is NOT going to ease traffic congestion on the North Shore.”’ The shock of the discovery that only 25 per cent of what everybody knows as Lynn Canyon Park is ac- tually designated as parkland has not faded away — quite the reverse. The suspension bridge itself, it turns out, is not part of the park. Ergo, certain district politicians feet they have the right to ‘‘devel- op’? the canyon to (a) create a series of bridges and roads to ease the congestion on the Second Nar- rows, and (b) to create housing Tevenue. Laudable as these goals may be, the provincial highways depart- ment could tackle the congestion problem by building more efficient approaches to the Second Nar- rows. And it should be patently ob- vious to anybody except a crook or A perfect ski for advanced, perfor- mance oriented ski- ers. A soft flexing easy turning staiorn ski for quick turns and moderate to high speeds. rca A new style GS ski with responsiveness and precision for racers and experts. Power core design with long radius turning and a smooth ride for groomed runs and steep verticals. 1845 MARINE DRIVE, WEST VANCOUVER 926-7547 “======m 569 Seymour, Van, 669-6333 + Nancy Green's Lodge, Whistler 952-1975 » Gacier Lode, Blackcomb 9325709 ee an idiot that building 1,900 houses in Lynn Canyon Park is NOT go- ing to ease traffic congestion on the North Shore. Over 40,000 signatures have al- ready been gathered protesting the bizarre plan to ‘‘develop”’ — i.e. wreck — Lynn Canyon, the last truly accessible parkland on the North Shore. Environment Minister Reynolds could make his mark fast enough by declaring his position on this issue. Save the park — or screw it up forever? Where do you stand, sir? The second litmus test of the new environment minister, so far as the North Shore is concerned, would be to check out his feelings about Maplewood Mud Flats, that unique and irreplaceable 130 hec- tares of wetlands and reclaimed foreshore which the Vancouver Natural History Society and others are trying to preserve. Maplewood Flats represents the last five per cent of estuarine wildlife habitat on the North Shore. It is the home to over 200 species of birds and 12 species of mammals, Lurking just beyond the marshes are the ever-hungry developers, the same people who would rape Lynn Canyon. Our fresh new B.C. environment minister could run up a flag quick- ly by declaring himself 100 per cent in favor of turning Maplewood Flats into a wildlife sanctuary at the same time as he declared his opposition to any further exploita- tion of Lynn Canyon. As things stand, it is clear that the Green vote is going to go to the NDP in the next election. In this one area, at any rate, Mike Har- court’s troops have staked out a precise and genuinely ecological position, As for the Zalm and his boys... Green, they ain’t. Unless Reynolds can turn it around. Good luck, Johne and expert service One of the toughest parts of skiing Is finding the ski that gives you the most enjoyment out of a day on the slopes. At Can- Ski we take the time to listen and work with you to find the best possible ski for you at the best possible price. F-A-S-T COLLISION REPAIRS CALL THE PROFESSIONALS AT JAXLO RMOTIVE 1959 LTD. FREE RENTAL COURTESY CARS B.C.A.A. APPROVED — A.R.A. CERTIFIED 1.C.B.C. VENDOR FOR ALL MAKES QUALITY WORKMANSHIP JeNcaaMOTVE™ TRUSTWORTHY SERVICE 174 PEMBERTON AVE. consutTaTioN HORTH VAN OR APPOINTMENTS 985-7455 KE. 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