© strictly personal © perce I NOTICE that a gaggle of military brass has been unleashed by Warren Beatty to win the hearts and minds of generally anti-nuke Canucks in the battle to Jaunch a fleet of nuclear subs. At the same time, the beleaguered Eastern Canadian nuclear industry recently published full-page ads with a mature-but-sexy lady scientist telling us that nukes are good for us. These people won't just go away, will they? Over at Elliot Lake, the On- tario uranium mining town’s municipal councillors have an- nounced they'd like to become the site of Canada’s first radio- active nuclear dump. Councillor Sven Bloom says he doesn't like the term “dump.”’ He prefers to think of it as ‘ta low-level radioactive waste disposal site.’' Can ! get away with a crack about Canada’s own Bloom County? Since you like euphemisms, Councillor, you'll love what the Americans have done at Han- ford, in Washington State. They call their dump a ‘‘nuclear reservation.’” Whatever the name, the place hasn’t been getting a yery clean bill of health lately. Just a cou- ple of months ago, « top of- ficial of the U.S. energy department admitted they've been having serious safety pro- blems. Managers were ignoring internal warnings that they were pushing the system beyond its safety limits. Why? Because of the increas- ed demand for raw materials used in nuclear weapons, which is obtainable after being pro- cessed at Hanford, which both refines and stores. But why bother pointing at the Americans? . The much-ballyhooed Cana- dian CANDU nuclear reactor has been screwing up again too. A key reactor component at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station has deteriorated much faster than expected. It is the same sort of problem that caused Canada’s most serious nuclear accident five years ago, when a rupture at another Pickering reactor sent thousands of gallons of radio- active water spurting into Lake Ontario. An alert has been issued by Ontario Hydro for all the re- maining functioning reactors. Great. This bit of news was released, by coincidence, the same day it was reported from Moscow that the cost of the Chernobyl nuclear-power stu- tion disaster was almost $16 billion Cdn., four times the previous estimate. And of course we all know the real figure will keep rising for generations yct. M. achiavellian stuff. But then once you put big nuclear toys, machines or weapons into place, they begin to acquire a momentum of their own, like icebergs, and soon they begin pushing the pace of political events, rather than obediently trailing the whims of parliamentarians. ”? It is interesting that Mikhail Gorbachev was particularly sting by Western criticism of the initial withholding of in- formation concerning Cher- nobyl, Having keen public rela- tions instincts, he seems to understand the depth of feeling worldwide about the nuclear Alladin’s Lamp — how fragile it is, how weirdly it glows in the dark! It is slightly unfortunate for the advocates of more nukes, and the PR people they have hired, that previously classified documents just released in Bri- tain reveal that a major nuclear accident occurred at the Wind- scale reactor back in 1957, and that it was hushed up under the Official Secrets Act. When a fire hit Windscale, the documents show, scientists knew fully well there was a danger of a hydrogen-oxygen explosion, with the danger of the entire pile igniting, yet the government refused to order an evacuation of the area around the plant. Afterwards, contaminated : milk from surrounding areas’ was allowed to be sold, causing thousands of eventual cancer deaths. The reason for mak- ing-believe that nothing was wrong? Then-prime minister Harold MacMillan was worried the Americans would think twice about sharing nuclear LGH auxiliary funds enhanced health care NORTH VANCOUVER’S Lions Gate Hospital has relied on the LGH auxiliary as its major fund raiser for many years. Last year, the auxiliary donated $111,234 for programs and equipment to enhance the health care of the hospital’s patients. These funds are produced by the daily work of a large number of dedicated volunteers, some of whom staff the LGH auxiliary shop. The thrift shop is staffed by one paid staff member and 42 volun- teers and 60 cents of every dollar generated in the shop goes to the hospital for patient care. Expenses such as rent, ,heat, light and taxes take up the other 40 cents. The thrift shop has exceeded its projected revenue for this fiscal year and by Dec. 31 had donated $24,000 to the hospital. , The thrift shop depends on the North Shore community for: both stock and customers. It carries clothing (including children’s), jewelery, small apptiances, housewares and toys. The thrift shop, located at 128 West 15th St., is open Tuesday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. secrets. In the wake of the Suez crisis, he didn’t want to lose any more face! On top of that, he didn’t want to have to disclose to the Americans just how much plu- tonium was being produced at Windscale, thus betraying the U.K.'s military hand. Machiavellian stuff. idut then once you put big nuclear toys, machines or weapons into place, they begin to acquire a momentum of their own, like icebergs, and soon they begin pushing the pacc of political events, rather than obediently trailing the whims of parliamentarians. The politicians who launch these systems are never around to have to deal with them when they fall apart, so it is relatively easy to make brave political decisions. Hang the fallout, full reactors ahead! Canada's mighty CANDU looks like a limping, leaking wreck to me. Close it down be- fore it does serious daniage! As for those folks in On- tario’s Bloom County, cali your dump a “nuclear boutique,"* for all I care, J just won't want my daughters marrying any of you. @ All in stock ~ WALLPAPER i/o cen “aa OUR REGULAR LOW SELLING PRICE. HUNDREDS TO CHOOSE FROM. Dire “Cloverdale SS yd Da CLOVERDALE PREMIUM EGGSHELL FINISH Easy to apply, scrubbable, low sheen for living, dining and bed- rooms. 2 01143 Regular $32.98 1629 Lonsdale Avenue Across from Supervalu 985-6815 1985-681 Dr. Mark Cousins Naturopathic Physician #405-1124 Lonsdale Ave. For appointment call: 984-0040 ° 984-8863 see how your child is doing at school. 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