6 - Wednesday, November 26, 1986 - North Shore News Life comes first ithin the past month store owners in Calgary and Montreal have shot and kilied robbers. From Surrey come reports ¢i mer- chants with guns behind their counters. in all three cases they're enjoying more than a little public sym- pathy for defending their property against holdup ar- tists on an equal footing. The sympathy is understandable—especially where a store has already been held up several times—but it is misplaced. On all counts. Firstly of course, in a western-style shoot-out, there’s no guarantee that the store operator himself will escape injury or death. The sudden sight of his gun could v-ell spur an armed robber with no real intention of stiooting to panic and fire first in order to make a getaway. And determined robbers, knowing their vic- tim may have his own firearm, are likely to have a more twitchy trigger finger than otherwise. On the other hand, the robber may be killed instead of merely being impeded from escaping, with the mer- chant facing a murder charge as has already happened twice. Still worse is the danger to innocent third par- ties, witether customers in the store or passers-by on the sidewalk. However worthy their cause appears, individuals taking the law into their own hands could ultimately destroy law and order altogether. No civilized society can exist with armed vigilantes running their own justice system in its midst. The banks, which know more about holdups than anyone, rate human life as more important than prop- erty. That must also be the priority for merchants. Surely George didn't mean this! ONE OF THE MOST LUCID SPEAKERS ever to address the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce zeroed in last week on one of B.C.’s most controversial issues. But he still left its biggest ques- tion mark — the bottom line — dangling in the air. Joe Mathias educating the ca- pacity business lunch crowd about aboriginal rights is a learning ex- perience that any Toastmaster Club member might value. The hereditary chief of the Squamish Band and B.C, vice- president of the Assembly of First Nations at the constitutional talks with.Ottawa and the provinces on the future of Canada’s native peo- ple presented their case to his au- dience with a skilful blend of clari- ty and controlled passion. If you were in the dock ona ma- jor criminal charge, you could doa great deal worse than have Joe de- fend you, He opened on a warmly emo- tional note about the Indian phi- losophy of working today for future generations of Indian children as yet unborn. From there he reverted to the Indian heritage of self-government and land ownership dating back several thousand years before the arrival of the white man. That heritage of ‘‘aboriginal sovereignty’, he declared, has SUMDAY - AEDNES DAY - FRIDAY 1139 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 57,656 taverage Wedriessdiey frdiny &% Surchay) land ownership) is w matter of honoring the promises George I!I made to native chiefs 223 years ago Noel Wright never been extinguished. In the earlier days of white settlement it was upheld through treaties con- cluded between {Indians and whites as equals — a concept of native freedom sand independence en- shrined in the famous proclama- tion of 1763 by George III. The 1763 proclamation, claimed “Chief Mathias, is still properly part of the Canadian Constitution, Ac- tually, of course, the concept — and with it, Indian sovereignty within their treaty lands — went down the drain once the feds assumed control of Indian affairs. In essence, therefore, aboriginal title (read self-government and LETTER OF THE DAY ‘Serious Dear Editor: With reference to Doug Collins column dated 21st November I am writing on behalf of the North Shore Station of the British Col- umbia Lifeboat Society to correct some very serious errors. The Canadian Lifeboat Institute does not operate from the present West Vancouver Yacht Club dock. Mr. Phil Matty lives on Passage Island and operates the ‘‘Donzi”’ from there. He has used the dock only as a convenient landing point when he comes to Vancouver. He errors’ also used the parking lot to park three of his vehicles. Present and future requirements of the BCLS were officially in- cluded in all negotiations by the West Vancouver Yacht Club with the Municipality of West Van- couver when arranging to manage the ex-Forestry/Corrections float. Mr. Matty’s claim that the pres- ent 17 foot Boston Whaler of the BCLS is not an ail weather craft is no secret. The BCLS has had to make do with what we have, long recognizing the need for a larger vessel. A fund-raising program has @ focus ® “for the future generation so long as the sun rises and the river flows’’. In short, for ever. That’s the nub of the Indian position during the next four or five months of continuing con- stitutional talks, at which B.C. emerges as the one rotten kid at the party. We're the only Canadian pro- vince that never made any treaties with-the Indians, Governor James Douglas having simply grabbed whatever land he wanted and pushed the natives willy-nilly on to reserves of his own making. If, therefore, aboriginal title is unconditionally confirmed, non- B been underway to provide a new lifeboat. The new 20 foot life- boat has now been ordered and is presently being equipped. It is a vessel wit’) adcquate horsepower and accomiaodation to fulfill the most demanding requirements in the Vancouver/Howe Sound area. Nevertheless, in the last 3 years “Lifeboat 5’’ having responded to 389 incidents has never once ref- used to answer a call due to bad weather. In addition to this the services of the BCLS support vessel ‘Blithe Spirit’’, a 50 foot diesel cruiser fully equipped with Doug's Display Advertising 980-0511 Classified Advertising 986-6222 Newsroom 985-2131 Distribution 986.1337 Subscriptions 986-1537 Wonh Shorn News... ae Odd Ab Tulle by Mott Lhe be “46 native British Columbians stand to become 2.75 million trespassers on Indian land to which they’ve no legal right. Joe didn’t put it quite as bluntly as that, but the logic seems inescapable. So.much for not bothering about written con- tracts. The chief made only a brief mention of ‘‘compensation’’ and didn’t linger on it. So in the ques- tion period your faithful scribe put to him the bottom-line query: If aboriginal title is finally entrench- ed, how much will it COST white society? . Joe, whose band is one of the richest in Canada, played his answer close to the chest. Side- stepping any dollar or land area figures, he replied simply that greater wealth per capita would enable Indians to spend more free- ly and so stimulate the economy for the benefit of everyone, in- cluding white society. With time running out, I didn’t get a chance to suggest that the folk paying the compensation might thereby be reduced to stimulating the economy a whole lot LESS. But then, that’s always the pro- blem with income redistribution schemes — which is something | don’t think George IH] had in mind at all in 1763! all electronic aids to operate anywhere in any weather has been called upon on several occasions this has entailed all night searches involving up to six lifeboat members as crew. It should be noted the BCLS is not a one mat operation. All members are unpaid volunteers from all walks of life. Active crew are on call 24 hours a day by a pager system and are not in com- petition with any other Search and Rescue facility. The new lifeboat will be fully operational within four weeks at a Publisher: Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Advertising Director ‘spokesmen, Peter Speck Noel Wright Barrett Fisher Linda Stewart oS hedule Hl Paragraph tH of the Mon Ltd atid diGthibuted 10 every coor of hincouvet $25 pet year Mailing rates Entire contents © 1986 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. meee (From the North Shore News, Nov. 25, 1981) WIDE OPEN Sunday shopping in North Vancouver City will go ahead after being approved by 58 per cent of the votes in Saturday’s . civic elections. But in North Van- couver District, where the ‘‘yes’’ vote was only 53 per cent, council postponed an immediate decision. “ae CAP COLLEGE budget was fac- ing 30 per cent cut, said students’ warning this could mean losing up to 58 course sec- tions. But college authorities downplayed the alleged threat. oe CHILDREN FAINTING from hunger and showing other signs of neglect or abuse at North Van’s Queen Mary Community school are on the increase, said principal Claus Spiekermann, eet A DRUNKEN BRAWL At a pre-Grey Cup party in North Van left three people knifed. lifeboat story cost in excess of $30,000. Funds are being raised by per- sonal and corporate tax deductible donations and any readers wishing to support this well proven lifesav- ing service may do so by making their donations to:- BCLS, 5854 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, V7W 282, Yes there is another side to this story and Doug Collins has not bothered to ask for it. , Peter G. Howard-Jones Fund Raising Officer