A6 - Sunday News, August 9, 1981 . EEE editorial page Think positive The North Shore rail transit proposal revived by West Vancouver Mayor Derrick Humphreys (who first aired it 23 years ago as a North Van City alderman) must not be killed by negative thinking and vested in- terests. The only physical problem to be solved is the difference in grade between the CN tracks running south from the Second Narrows and the CP tracks west along the Vancouver waterfront to Granville Square. ;The short link between the two sets of tracks which existed until the early 1960s was removed when the Second Narrows road bridge. was built — presumably im the business interests of one or both railway companies. Despite the grade difference created at that time it is ridiculous to maintain that the problem of restoring the link fs insoluble, given the will. The roundabout route from Horseshoe Bay to downtown Vancouver would ob- viously not solve all the North Shore's commuter problems. But it would certainly provide some significant relief to the ever- growing congestion on the Lions Gate and in the Cassiar corridor. With fast Budcar service the travel time to downtown Van- couver might compare favorably with time now wasted in worsening line-ups at the road spans. The North Shore is excluded indefinitely from Lower Mainland rapid transit plans. The Humphreys proposal sounds like plain commonsense and offers the only major easing of cross-Inlet traffic tie-ups we're likely to see in this century. Negative thinkers and interest groups should be ignored while the scheme is given careful and urgent consideration. Home truth President Ronald Reagan's dedication to free enterprise has come home to roost in a very personal way. He and Nancy are planning four TV shows from the White House with old entertainment world friends. Trouble is that the President’s budget cuts have left PBS too poor to pick up the tab -- so he’s now searching for a sponsor. Hang in, Ronny, the taxpayers love you! sunday news narth shore news 1139 Lonsdale Ave North Vancouver BC V7M 2H4 (604) 985-2131 ADVERTISING 980-0511 NEWS CLASSE IED 985-2131 . 986-6222 CIRCULATION 986-1337 Publisher Peter Speck Associate Publisher Robert Graham Managing Editor Editorn-Chiet Noel Wright News Editor Advertising Director brie Cardwell Sports Editor Andy Fraser Chis Lloyd Patrick Rich General Manager Creative Administration Olrector Berni Hilbard Tim Fane ts Production Director Photography Rich Stonehouse Eilsworth Orc hao Accounting Supervisor: Circulation Director Barbara Keen Brian At its Purchaser faye Me Crae North Shore News to ocoded nm 1 VO as an Widegmencient oomoniueity news pape:c and Quatthied ander Se trecdiuide UE Rat il Rimage ag Wot the Preene Tare Act cs pratotistiedd euacty Wercdnencary ane) Spuneany fey Noort? Scare Presa Brersn tC tel cased cfeestetboastardd te every ker on the Nae tt Shore Second (haos Mail Hogmtraton Number i865 Subscriptions $20 por year Entire (untents All rights roserved 1961 North Shore Free Prenes t td Ne COmproe natant, me pled feos Ye ee oS LCT hoaebe, Peeve tates PIPES teed pane Toe abe Tobe abe dl Poe cae cerrapeetr eset Gey os ca biaessp ees | OYOLS cits SOR VE RIP EL ee A HON 93 470 Wednesday 427 190 Sunday a wd Sw’ rr THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau is one of the most interested supporters of switching Canada into a system of proportional representation. He's. so interested that he tried to bring in just such a system retroactively after the 1980 election. Proportional represen- tation would mean that there would be seats in the House of Commons filled by direct constituency election, as they are now, and also seats representation, and it was common knowledge that such talks were taking place. The talks apparently went further than any of us realized. In a Winnipeg speech this spring to Manitoba Liberals, Mr. Trudeau said he was ready to convene Parliament immediately after the results of the election on the basis of proportional represen- tation, so that there would be Liberals from the West, and Tories from Quebcc. Canadian Comment BY PETER WARD filled from lists of candidates drawn up by each party and selected as MP’s on the basis of the percentage vote won by each party in the election. Immediately after the 1980 election, when Prime Minister-Trudeau discovered that his Liberal party had been shut out entirely in the three western provinces and had won only two seats in Manitoba, he began an attempt to change the rules of the election retroactively. He held several meetings with New Democratic Party leader Ed Broadbent to discuss proportional CAMPING OUT on Parhament Hill in Ottawa last week, with an RCMP guard protecting his motor home, was every taxpayer's North Van fnend, David Ingram — trying to find someone to take delhvery (and note) of 60,000 letters protesting the postal strike and demanding immediate yovernment action to end the once and for all He wasn't having much luck David honse nse you may recall deft Nancouver three weeks age on his “(Mad As Hell Maul Protest’ safarn which an volved mobile through the villages and hamlets of western lowing a mathbox trather cities and contral Canada. collecting letlcrs as he went protest A sumalar caravan was scheduled to Halttax at the same time and meet up with David leave we othe shadow of the Peace lower Krom scores of pounts cn route the letters flowed in but trying to pet them ante the hands of thers addressees proved to be another thing again Onartival David sought a theeting fon that freee pre SO with Postumaster (rcneral Andre Ouclbet Monsieur Ouellet refused Neat he tricd Jean Claude’ Parrot president oof the C anadtan Anton of Postal Workers Bat Momsieun Parrot | was alses ia ones be ther rec ciuviny his rere Maybe nesther of them tes Jropourstic ally Compote nt fee wade thhreeough GO OOO Letters an pehain Cae frequently uncombuanentary) ¢ According to Trudeau, Mr. Broadbent was ready to go along with this idea, but Conservative leader Joe Clark said no. Thank fortune he did. Even Prime Ministers cannot write the results of a federal election, simply because he didn't like the results. What the PM. said he was proposing to do would have violated every election law in the land. Either he knew he wouldn't be able to do tt at the time, and was merely trying to make some Manitoba political miles with what amountcd to a lie : ing the truth : i fentions, and call he could break. election laws by changing the results of the election. However con- venient, it wouldn't be legal for the Liberals to swap the Tories a couple of Quebec seats. Sure, proportional representation might be a great idea, but let’s get the rules set before the next election, not try to change the rules retroactively. “Well, bow is the diet working?” sunday brunch by Noel Wright Enghsh So our last bulletin had David searchinp around for Joe Clark in the hope of finally dumping his bulging mail sacks around the op position leader's desk — after which he plans to spend a further couple of weeks or so hosting a radio hothne in what passes for the nation’s capital in this summer of 81 Thank God for Marcom eee Meanwhile, back at the barn, North Van-Capilano MLA Angas Ree ts running a modest one-man mail service of his own. He'll be glad to handle = any correspondence with Victona by his constitucnts including Uhings like sales tax returns — cither by taking the letters over personally on his regular tnps to the Island or by delivering them to the provincial government agent at Robson Square All for free, of course If you're ching to Communicate with your BC bosses, give Angus a ding at 986-0010 of drop by his constttucncy) office at 1412 Lansdale BITTER SWEET was the bubbly in Aldcrman StecBa Jo glass Wednesday North Van Dean's alte rnoop when ‘ Cty cara th celebrated the formal sigoing of the bylaw cobberstamping = the $140 millon Lonsdale Quay dc velopme at work oon which has been proceeding meothy (and techoically tor well illegally) Over a year The partly was preceded by a 10 minute council session for final adoption of the bylaw passed nine days earher. with Stella Jo casting the only opposing vole. Not that she opposes the provincial povernment development itself. only the $6000 OOO worth of services being putin by the City as its throwaway contribution to North Shore Ihe lady confessed she found ita little embarrassing to be Victoria's Monument toasting her own defeat on a point of principle But at was very good champagne and the last thing you can accuse Stella Jo of ts being a party pooper Plans for West Vans second annual Coho Festival are proceeding at a frantic pacc., says Chamber of Commerce president Mike Nicell. Ho takes place Saturday, September Sand thas year’s ceremontal salute to the Capilano Cobo cun has been shifted from Ambleside Park to the landscaped lump of fill south of Park Royal at the cod of the pedestrian overpass to The Bay because the whole can be Croan thinking. show transferred to the adyaceut cosered parking area betind batons i the cventol rain The manncd by a vobuntece orew from the barbecue prats Salmon Hoasc will provide a w trote cobo for cach meal baby There Il be tours of the estuary feos the energetic, exhibits in the malls for the strollers and hourly entertainment all day long by local talent organized by Nancy Farley of the West Van Community Arts Council. To top off the evening theyre planning a two-hour “family onented” jazz concert) The honored guests leaping their way upstream — will presumably remain in blissful ignorance of all thats being done tn their name Their fun will come later POSTSCRIPTS North Shore's Canadiana Ihe Symphome under dynamin macstro Yondani Butt steps Up its program for the 1941 82 season to three distine tive concert ope ine the North Centennial Vheatre and two over town at the Orpheum 16 performances November 4 The series Van - a total of between May 19 24 hour in formation phone ws 922 BASY North Shore actor Marry Van Doren is the Sandman lon “Mt live and to hving Above and beyond call of sport and new chains latest Sandman 4 olor the duty was Newn Pat Rich's on coverage ol naghts tacular blaze in the = 1OO0 blook Marine North Van Rushing to a better vantage Pane editor the spot Wednesday spec proven tripped over oan unseen snag fell heavily and fracturca both arms aae WRIGHT OR WRONG. Patience as the quality you ndmire wp the daaver behind you but notin the one ahead of you