; i) orie AS THE Jan. 18 demonsira- tion outside Alcan Aluminum Ltd. headquar- ters in Vancouver should have made clear by now, most of the Nechako River fishery has been jlestroyed, exactly as predicted by natives, who were ignored, and Department of Fisheries “and Oceans scientists, who were overruled from above. The destruction of the Nechitko, _ described as the most impart “tributary of the Fraser, was as much “the work Of Brian Mulroney's Tories ‘especially Kin Campbell and Tom Siddon, as it was Alcan’s “well-connected board of directors. Ina pre-election colunin on the Kemano 2 sewndal, { described the way Siddon, us fisheries minister, . did an end-run around his own departinent’s scientists, who warmed that if Kemano 2 was “allowed to go ahead, “there won't * be enough water to float a salmon.” Kemuano 2, for anybody coming late to the discussion, is the half- . finished $1.5 billion hydroclectric project near Kitimat, which Alcan wants to complete to increase the power available for its stnelter, and ‘also to sell electricity to the U.S. ., According to Trudeau-era feder- al regulations, the Kemano 2 pro-. » ject should have had to go through an Environment Assessment and .Review Process (EARP). This: was circumvented by ‘Siddon’i in 1990 when Kemano 2 ‘was suddenly exempted from the review: process by cabinet order. It was the only time a mega-project -. chad been’ taken m completely 0 off the hook. ns ‘AUSTRIA / ITALY “ May 30 (15. days). ‘- PILGRIMAGE: TOURS TO: : ee, Land & ‘Europe . —— Call. - SPECIAL TRAVEL “ INTERNATIONAL: “The Perfect RSP investment! Provincial Government : ; _ Guaranteed _. Please Call: . The North Shore's only ‘Full Service Invesiment Firm .981- 6600 Hunter STRICTLY PERSONAL decision-making, she went out of her way to argue that the federal cabinet was on “sound” environ- mental grounds sparing Alcan the hassle of an EARP. Alcan had. in fact, been getting favorable treatment from Ottawa ever since Mutroney swept to power in 1984, Why? Well, this is a company with two directors who have been made com- panions of the Order af Canada by the Tories: one director, Allan Gotlicb, who served Mulroney as American ambasssador and cam- paigned tirelessly for tree trade; three directors who sat on Tory advisory bodies, including Sonja Bata (of Bata shoe fame) and J.E. (Ted) Newall; plus two Conservative senators, Laurent Beaudoin and Jean-Marie Poitras. The key player, apart from ‘Mulroney himself, was Alcan’s for- mer chaimian and chief executive ‘officer, David Culver, who, as leader of a pro-free trade lobby ‘group, the Canadian Alliance for for Free Trade and Job Opportunities, helped being in imore than $S mil- lion, including # $250,000 contribu. tion from Alcan itsel) fer the free trade campaign. Tall, Calver’s group spent $2 million during the lO8¥ federal clection on ads urging, Canadians to support free trade by vetiag for the Conservatives, who, justaryear hefore, had cooked up the Kemano Settlement Agreement, (he means by which Alean bad been handed exactly shat it wanted: permission to cut the flow of water in the Nechako River by 879 The aieans by which she agree- meni was reached led to a seven- month RCMP investigation into possible influence peddling, Ureach of trust, secret commissions, fabri- cating evidence, perjury and obstruction of justice. In the end, the probe “failed to identify any form of corruption .. It was a political decision on the part of Mr. Siddon,” said the top Mountie involved. Ah. Political, Not cerrupt. in June 1993 an alt-party Senate-Commons report in the Conservative-dominated House of Commons called the cabinet’s exemption of Kernano 2 from a fed- eral environmental assessment “illegal and uncaustituional” But, again, not corrupt. The top lawmakers in the land became the top lawbreakers in the land, but, hey, it was mere illegality, not cor- ruption, And ihe electorate has since punished them, so what's the fuss’ : The fuss is this, It’s time for Jean Chretien’s Liberals to step in _ and scrap the project entirely, even if Alcan has gone ahead and spent, $500 million. Tough. They've been playing hardball behind the scenes. Why should they be treated any differently from how & SON CUSTOM . DRAPERIES, | TRACKS AND ‘VALANCES Labour $8.50 per panel unlined, $9.50 lined. ‘CUSTOM BE SPREADS & BLINDS At low, low prices. For FREE Estimates call 987-2966 (Ask about Seniors’ Discounts) Serving the North Shore for 23 years A collection of 57 exclusive apartments & townhouses by Brody Development Corp. Sunday, January 23, 1994 - North Shors News — 7 (ey treated the people around them? Chretien won widespread admi- ration aid trust by acting se quickly after his election lo Gab otf the pri- vatization of Toronto's Pearson Aisport, which would have made Tory insider richer at the aapiay: ers” expense, He also cancelled the ETL 1OL helicopter deal, which was already enriching Tory insiders at thy tax- payers’ expense, Except tothe extent that they both contribute to global warning, neither the Pearson nor EHO! seams fad any secious, inimediate environmental side effects, whereas Kemuan 2 is a disaster alresidy in motion —- all the more reason tor quick action. Recently, both Harrawsnith Magazine and the Fifth Estate have run pieces on the damage inflicted on the Cheslatta Carrier Nation by Kemuna 1. the decimation of the fishery, and the backroom political machinations that cleared the wity POSTERS FRAM E D "3 PERSONAL INJURY | Free Initial Consultation Douglas W. Lahay / CLARK,WILSON /” BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS, 800-885 West Georgia Stizet,“Van. “687-5700 ‘ 24 HOUR MESSAGE 643-3161 ICBC's policies are not law. 1 will pec you a fair settlemene er trial award. O fiasco for Kemino 2. Nota pretty picture, Back in October, when he was STH Leader of the Oppasition, Chretien wrote to the Chestatta Bund advising them that the Liberal Party “supports a review of the implications of the Kemane Completion Project.” He vowed to release “all the information in federal possession” and said that he would cooperate “in seeking the evidence of current and former government employ- ees. Up until this point, following Tory directives, the Department of Justice has been threatening to gag federal employees to stop them from revealing under oath haw they were barred from testifying buck when Alean, courtesy of Mulroney/Slddon/Campbell, was having the way cleared for its rape of the Nechika, Or should Tc all it, the river that was Siddonized? $5 Poster Not inch Up to 24x36“ 922- 5914 - 7: At » Do you enjoy caring for children? * Would you like to earn some money in your own home? if so, cali us for free advice and available support services (a) to start your own family daycare @ THE CHILD CARE SUPPORT PROGRAM” sponsored hy °, CHILDCARE RESOURCE society ‘985-2988 DAILY DINNER SPECIALS. Now ar TROLLS from 5:00 p.m. 6408 Bay Street West Vancouver | Valid until Feb. 28th/94 921-7755.