Thanks for he

Dear Editor:

I would fike to use the
North Shore News to thank
North Vancouver MP Ted
White for the assistance his
office gave my family recently.

Furthermore, I would like
to congratulate him on his
selection of staff as ] owe a
great debt of thanks to
Graham, Mr. Ted White’s
secretary, for his intervention
on our behalf.

We have recently arrived
in Vancouver from South
Aftica as landed immigrants
and were waiting for my son
to arrive from South Africa to
join us.

He is 18, and, as a depen-
dent, was allowed landed
immigrant status on the
strength of our acceptance.

However, due to the abil-
ity of teenagers to thwart
even the best laid plans of
mums and dads, he missed
the expiry date of his landed
immigrant’s visa recisely
nine hours as he left his pass-
port, ticket and visa on a
counter in the transit lounge
at Jan Smuts airport. He was
therefore delayed in
Singapore for nwo days while
it was returned to him.
Incredibly, the documents
were found lying where he

left them.

We therefore had to apply

immediately to the Canadian
in Pretoria for an
extension of the expiry date.

This was urgent as my son
was about to turn 19, at
which age he would no
longer be seen as a depen-
dent, and would have to
return co South Africa to
apply in his own right to
immigrate.

The real panic set in when
it appeared that both the
telephone and fax lines for
the Canadian embassy in
Pretoria were defunct.

B.C. Tel could not raise
them, the embassy could not
raise them, immigration
could not raise them and my
son closed in on 19, while his
father and I turned grey.

It was then suggested to
me that I phone Ted White's
office.

T telephone — was
answered by Graham, who
heard me our with great
politeness and no empty
promises.

I am sure that he must
have checked up on my long
story, and found it to be a
genuine cry for help.

Ir was a matter of a few
days before everything. came

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t, without us ever actual-

managing to relay our
problem to Pretoria, and my
son was declared landed and
legal at the Freedom Arch.

So it was that we, as very

immigrants, found that
even our small voices could
be heacd in the huge govern-
mental machine of Canada.

A good feeling indeed to
feel worthy of attention even
though we are the newest of
Canadians.

Our compliments to Mr.
Ted White, and our sincere
thanks to Graham and his
staff.

Diana Robertson
North Vancouver

Ted | No-fault letter in News

loaded with ICBC bias

Dear Editor:

When publishing letters to the editer in
the future, you may wish to check the biases
and affiliations of those writing the letters
more carefully. Let me tell you my biases
right up front. | am a public affairs consultant
with the Barr & Wilcox Group, and I have
been working with the Trial Lawyers
Association of British Columbia for some
time in their battle to save innocent victims
from the cruelties of no-fault auto insurance.

As one of only a handful of people to have
actually read the recent KPMG report on
ICBC (no one in their right mind would
plough through this door-stopper if it wasn’t
part of their business), | recognized the sta-
ustics and rhetoric in R. Brian Caron’s Jan.
12 letter right away.

In fact, the language used in his criticism
of the adversarial process is cribbed almost
directly from the KPMG report.

Iam typing this fetter on a Sunday after-
noon and | have done no research as vet, but
I am willing to bet you a nickel that Mr.
Caton is either 3} an ICBC employee, b) a
KPMG emplovee, or c) a lawyer or consul-
tant who feeds regularly from ICBC con-
tracts. I will be checking this out over the
week. If Lam wrong, I will happily write back
to you and eat humble pie.

Tf fam correct, however, then I will iet
you know, and at that point you should tell
your readers that Mr. Caton’s letter was
nothing more than an ICBC advertorial.
Dennis Prouse
dprouse@pax.axionet.com

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