NV man working on biography of former premier Analyzing Vander Zalm trial decision for passage in book A NORTH Vancouver man is helping Bill Vander Zalm write what might be the final chapter in the often enter- taining political life of the fallen former B.C. premier. Greg Richmond is working with * Vander Zalm and author Paul Nielsen in writing Vander Zalm’s authorized biography, A Test of Faith: The Odyssey of Bill Vander Zalm. Richmond, 47, said he sat through Vander Zalm’s recent criminal trial in which he was found not guilty of breach of trust charges faid against him. Rich- mond said his job is to “translate into English the judge’s decision”’ for Nielsen, who is Vander Zalm’s official biographer. Richmond, who said he has been working on the project for the past 1% years, said he became involved with Vander Zalm and Nielsen after he became upset with some of the media coverage of Vander Zalm during his term as premier. . “I noticed what I viewed as a disturbing trend by the electronic media, especially BCTV, U.TV and CKNW. The trend being that all news iterns regarding Mr. Vander Zalm, his cabinet, the Party and party members was Kinsella-like in their attacks and their reporting about anything Mr. Vander Zalm or his cabinet are alleged to have done,” said Rich- mond, referring to former Social Credit campaign worker Patrick Kinsella. Richmond added that the media continually finked Vander Zaim to “the alleged scandals.”” “That alarmed me. Common sense tells you that a leader of anything, a company or a news- paper, cannot he held solely responsible for what others do,’’ he said. In March 1991 Richmond filed two formal complaints with the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) against BCTV and U.TV saying the two television stations “‘deliberatley broadcast a false and misleading news item’’ re- garding Vander Zalm. He added that he sent Vander By Surj Rattan News Reporter Zalm copies of his complaint ‘‘as a courtesy.’” “He (Vander Zalm) contacted’ me and thanked me for my efforts in trying to bring some objectivity and professionalism back to some B.C. media outlets,’”? Richmond said. . Shortly after, he said he met with both Vander Zalm and Nielsen and told the two that he was ‘going to investigate ‘‘all the political events’? that had taken place since the 1986 Social Credit leadership convention where Vander Zalm was elected leader of the Socred party. He added that his investigation would include ‘‘all the alleged reported scandals’’ and that Nielsen asked him if he would share his information with him “with the intention that if it was relative to the book it would be included.”” “Then 1 staried chasing down scandal after scandal. You’d: be surprised at the enormous in- formation that came cut of the research, 1 guess Paul and Mr. Vander Zalm's biggest problem will be how much to tell. “I chased down the Bud Smith affair to the point where I was able to honestly conclude that Mr. Smith was set up and his career and character were probably deliberately attacked,”’ said Rich- mond. tle said he is currently analyz- ing and ‘‘translating into English’’ the judge’s decision that found Vander Zailm not guilty of crimi- nal breach of trust charges and that information will be included in Vander Zalm’s biography. In the past, Richmond worked as an advocate for the North Shore Tenants’ Association and the West End Tenants’ associa- tion. ie Friday, July 3, 1992 - North Shore News ~ 3 a NEWS photo Mike Wakefield Creek chemical spill NORTH VANCOUVER City and Department of Fisheries and Oceans officiais are investigating the spill of an unknown chemical into a creek located by Mahon Park. The spill, which was reported by residents on Tuesday afternoon, apparently killed some fish in the creek. City director of engineering Chuck Gayle said tests are being conducted to determine what the product is. He added that there Is a possibility the product may be a sap-based product the city uses for dust controi of area lanes. NVD Ald. Gadsby walks out on council again NORTH VANCOUVER District Ald. Joan Gadsby again walked out of a North Vancouver District Council meeting, this time on June 22 after alieging that ‘‘staff are _rumning.council.”’ Gadsby told the district’s cor- porate services standing committee that she had ‘‘a complete lack of confidence in the municipal man- ager as well as the mayor’’ for lack of follow-up on‘a council motion of December 1990. But North Vancouver District Mayor Murray Dykeman later told the News that ‘‘continual staff bashing is not achieving a great deal of understanding be- tween staff and council on our working procedures.”’ The 1990 motion, presented by Ald. Ernie Crist and passed in a 4-3 vote by a council that did not include Gadsby, proposed the cre- ation of a task force to improve voter turnout. The full text of Crist’s motion was: . “That this council set up a By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer. special task force composed of a member of council, representatives of various community greups such as ratepayers, senior citizens, youth, recreation, social, cultural, sports, and fraternal organiza- tions, the Chamber of Commerce and labor crganizations to advise council as to how the- voter tur- nout for the 1993 municipal elec- tion can be improved and that this task force make specific recom- mendations to council and present their report not later than the spr- ing of 1992.”” Since the task force was never created there has been no report to council, and Gadsby toki the NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL News that the incident is repre- sentative ‘“‘of tue sloppy bureau-_ cracy and the way things mount up and mount up and don’t. get done.”” “Direct accountability for that follow-up was the municipal manager’s and the mayor’s,”’ Gadsby said. “If this situation had occurred in the private sector it would have been a just cause for firing,” Gadsby told the committee. But Dykeman told the News that changes to the Municipal Act that resulted in a three-year term of office for council members and the district’s own organizational revue resulted in the examination of the proposed task force being moved forward. “The overall system that coun- cil is operating in would benefit from what we. are doing now, not what we were doing back in 1990,’ said Dykeman. In a June 5 report to the stand- ing committee presented Monday night, Colleen Rohde, the district’s legislative services man- ager, recommended that council not proceed with the task force at this time. Rohde argued that committing-a lot of resources to the task force would be treating the issue in isolation from other corporate issues and suggested that a pend- ing strategic planning process could cover much of the ground. Rohde also reminded the com- mittee that a communications of- ficer has been hired by the district. The officer’s respon- sibilities include advertising, public notifications and local gov- ermment awareness. In the 1990 municipal election, the turnout of eligible voters in North Vancouver District was 29.2%. After Gadsby’s withdrawal and with Mayor Murray Dykeman voting in her place, Crist succeed-. ed in achieving the committee’s recoramendation that staff report on the feasibility and costs of a variety of voter awareness initia- tives. Crist’s suggestions included: @ billboard advertising; @a direct mailing to every houschold in the district; @the involvement.of the Chamber of Commerce and major food chains in displaying election date banners; @ a canvassing company phoning every household; ® full-page mewspaper advertis- ing. Asked for her reaction to Crist’s motion Gadsby replied, “They’re all well and good, but what guarantees any action on them this time?’’ Gadsby returned later in the evening to take her place on the district’s operational service stand- ing committee.