4139 Lonsdate Avenua Herth Vancouver, B.C. A 244 PETER SPECK : _” Publisher 985-2131 (101) Chris Jobnson Operations Manager 965-2131 (106) Worle Steghcesoa . | | Classiled Hanager O85-6222 (202) _,, Shore, Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sal Product Agreement No. 0087238, ~ Entire contents : © 1996 North Shore ~ Free Press Lid. ~All rights reserved. Facing a fowl choice Dear Editor: The timing and coinci- dence of events is often intriguing. fe On Feb. 22° the New Brunswick government abol- 3 ished elected school boards - and replaced them with school’. and district-based parent councils, a On Feb. 23 the $1.6 million B.C. Teachers Federation » campaign was launched. to: explain why public education is just fine as it is, . In B.C., parents, students and the community at -large . ‘wantand deserve more oppor- tunities to set education direc: tion, in partnership with teac _jand < administrat School-based management can accomplish this, The fox is not yet in charge of the hen-house,: but) if’ ‘don’ t counter the.“‘i’m all righ Jack’ ” philosophy, soup or chicken feathers: Jeremy Dalton; MLA®: “T's TIME for local government to wake e i up to the reality that, the home-based busi- ness séctor.is a significant and dynamic contributor to our Iecal economy. Existing regulations address zoning (land- ., use) issues but fail to sericusiy treat, let alone recognize, home-based business as a key part ~ Of an integrated economic whole. ; =~ _. At this’ point, the numbers’ are rough esti- » mates because the particulars haven’t been |. “Sy: stematically tracked. . The figure for total hhome-based businesses within B.C. ranges from a low of 130,000 toa _ high of 280,009. ° * “About 19% ‘of households support a home- based business, providing work for 2.1 people in each enterprise. The average home-based business brings in _ about $37,000 annually. 3 _ The field will continue to crow as emerging home, cleanly, efficiently, and with minimal / impact on the immediate environment...’ Corporate downsizing, restructuring. and. the daunting cost of starting a business from scratch are contributing factors to growth in. pa ; pave ea he amount {tonal per: ‘sonal income the home-based field. Factor in the decentralized workplace’ that is now a reality thanks to computer and telecommunications technology. and ‘it’s obvi- is “wen aa ‘ous that a major shift in how and’ where 9 we ry $45, 000° live and work is fast approaching. To plan and support it all, we must first: secure raw. information — in eésence, quanti- ‘fy the beast.. _ ~ The concepts in place. for land-use policy, transportation and the like, are based « on 20th century experience. The truth of that experience is undergoing a quiet but radical mutation, "period ' pr es B More than’ $1. billion. {nine taxpayer years), B $7, 000: ‘to: the. -D INCITING THE armed. forces to mutiny — ie. sedition — is punished in most self-respecting nations by imprisonment or ever execution. The reason is simple. The military is a government's instrument of last resort for maintaining law and order. Its duties include “aid to the civil power” in extreme circum- stances where civilian police .can no longer cope. It is the - final. safeguard against internal anarchy. Heice the odd silence in most of the media about the apparently seditious activity of ; Lucien Bouchard and Bloc Quebecois MPs prior to the October referendum. It has been Jeft to Diane Francis, editor of The Financiai Post — an immigrant from the U.S. and now a fanatically foyal Canadian — to keep hammer- ing away at this disturbing story. The known facts are, first, that separatist Marcel Masse switched a substantial number of weapons and planes to Quebec from bases in Ontario and the Maritimes while federal - defence minister under Brian Mulroney. And second, that a communique enticing military personnel in Quebec to defect.immediately after a Yes vote to a new Québec army was | sent out from Bouchard’s office just days before the referen- dum. Francis says she has also . learned the BQ caucus —. reconfirmed last week as “Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition” — discussed the communique with Bouchard and BQ defence critic Jean-Marc Jacob weeks before it was faxed out. She also understands pressure was being and yon to the vote to pet French Canadians to swear oaths of allegiance to Quebec instead cf. Canada. Scary stuff if confirmed. — . The communique itself, however, is not in question and seems a clear case of Bouchard committing sedition under the Criminal Code. . Since November, Francis, Montreal lawyer Brent Tyler and numerous others have pestered police, courts, the military and Parliament to take some action on the maiter — but so far with no result: whatsoever. Tyler’s attempt to lay charges against Bouchard was rejected by an Ottawa justice of the peace who claimed the communique invit- ing forces members in Quebec to mutiny was a “job offer”! The RCMP told Francis her com- ; plaint had been sent to the Justice Department, ’ which takes time and means charges may be applied within army ranks prior ° uilty of sedit dropped for political reasons, Frustrated, she then tackled Defeiice Minister David Collenette who politely fessed surprise. that no Reformers or ‘had raised the matter in the. House Nevertheless, the man directly. responsible fe the loyalty of our armed forces continue wimp out from raising it himself; let‘alone ini tiating any parliamentary probe.-. . If you feel Bouchard’s incitement of cur forces to mutiny — and its apperen t cover-up — is a storm in a teacup, God bl you, . : But at least you're entitled to know and ‘dis ~ cuss the issue. And, aside from The Financial Post's Diane Francis, the media — espe locally — have done a pretty good ie? to date of ensuring you don’t. f “FISH & BUCKS” is the theme of: UBC zoo! ogist Dr. Carl Walters at West Vaa Chamber. of Coramerce’s 7 a.m. breakfast meéeting Tuesday, March 12, in Hollyburn Country. Club — book (926-6614) by 2 p.m. Friday“... Happy. West Van birthdays tomorrow, March.7 to Tom Wardell and Coun. Andy Danyliu :: And more of. the same Friday, March 8. to Mt Seymour Lion Colin Pew. WRIGHT OR WRONG: No pleasure withou pain. Spelled backward, even golt becomes: “flog.”