A2 - Sunday, September 12, 1982 - North Shore News

strictly personal

by Bob Hunter

When I was a kid, one of the real thrills in life
was to visit Uncle Clarence at The Bank.

It didn’t matter which
bank he worked for, to me
they were all part of one big
bank. Just from the way
people used the words The
Bank, I knew that this was a
place on a par with The
Church and The Govern-
ment.

It was an immense bank,
at the corner of Winnipeg's
Portage and Main, with
Greek columns that rose at
least as high as the ones at
the Legislative Building.

The marble floors were
always shiney. The inner
chamber was so vast that I
instinctively whispered. The
parallels with church were
amazing.

Uncle Clarence was an
ordinary bank clerk. He
stood inside a little cage with
ornate bars. Someone would
lift me up so that I could
look over the counter. Uncle
Clarence would flash a
thousand-dollar bill.

That was it. That was the
thrill. And then Id tip toe
out of the awesome temple
back into the routine world.

Uncle Clarence had
special stature. As far as I
knew, he was the only
person in the family to ever
have so much as touched a
thousand dollar bill.

When I opened my first
bank account, it was like a
rite of passage. I clutched
that thin little book like it
was a catechism.

That’s why I find it so
amusing to notice that
nowadays the banks are
trying to polish their tar-
nished public image.

Apparently the $1.72
billion = profit Canada’s
chartered banks racked up
in fiscal 1981 while the rest
of us were clinging by our
fingernails to the edges of
our mortgages hasn't gone
down too well with = the
public at large.

According to Robert
MacIntosh, president of the
Canadian Bankers’
Association, “We have a
pubhc perception problem.
and we have to work at it.”

He addcd “Bankers have
never been very good at
pubhe relanons or at selling
themsclves They're by
nature secretive peopic

Ah. shucks, Mr
Mac latosh. uf | may bite into
the core of your argument.
the only pubhc perception
problem you have ts that the
public perceives you
about the

Vt agree
Sy

f (hin ta you exchange your
amé@e tor a aunry good moming
trentiant af any North Snore

Wc Qhonaid 6
PA.

—y————

secretiveness— Uncle Clar-
ence hardly ever said
anything — but you can't
seriously be claiming that
you guys are babes in the
woods when it comes to p_r.
or to selling yourselves.

Any industry which has
the sense to hire Anne
Murray to tell us in her
throaty purr that we can
trust them ain't exactly an
amateur in the brainwash
department.

Also, don't tell me those
fabulous Greco-Roman
temples that you used to
build — and the scintillating
towers you raise up now —
weren't designed with a view
to having at least some
psychological effect on the
shuffling masses who pass
through their archways.

Now listen, I may chuckle
to myself privately when I
hear that a banker has
slipped on a banana peel or
been run over by a train, but
1 appreciate the necessity for
banks.

It goes without saying that
the greatest invention since
canned beer was the line of
credit. Or was it the cash
flow projection’ chart?

gas grill

(reg. $630.00
itustrated

Sale $440°°

What i image problem? =

Something to do with banks,
anyways.

Its jost that, gee, when
Pm stuck with a one-year
variable rate mortgage at
18% per cent, which costs
me $12,600 and allows $185
of that to go towards the
primcipal, I get, you know,
uptight.

When I go imto a bank
nowadays, Mr. Macintosh, I
don't tiptoe. I don't
whisper. I don't feel awe-
strack. Actually, I'm looking
for someone to punch im the
nose.

With all your bilicns in
profits, sa, I don’t think
there's a public relations
man im the universe you
could hire who's gomng to be
able to make me feel that 'm
met being ripped off but
good.

Not even Anne Murray.

West Van
gets a
new road

SEVERAL residents will get
new addresses without
moving,

after council

Ross Lane has been put on
the map im order that
residents of 4456, 4450 and
4440 Marine Drive, whose
access is off the lane, can
have the added convenience
of receiving mail and visitors
with less confusion.

Two letters from residents
of Ross Crescent (which
gives access to the lane)
expressed concern that legal
complications would affect

their properties.

But director of Operations
Don Walker told council
that the front.and rear yard
setbacks were the same, and
that the lane is nota legal
street anyway, so that there

would be no change
whatsoever to i i
residents of the lanc.
‘Pitch-in and
Keep
Canada
Beautiful

Ob Enylish Brass Lt.

1631 Weich St.
% Van. ¥7P 3G9

STOCK REDUCTION SALE
30% off & More

wie

GA SERIES

BARBECUES

Sale priced from $275.00 to $495.00

Also Clearing:

RECREATIONAL STYLE RANGES
CAMPING EQUIPMENT - COLEMAN & PRIMUS

GAS GRILL PARTS

260 Riverside Drive. North Vancouver

929-1244

There’s never been more reason or a
better time to install a modern Security
System to protect your home or business.
/ Give the experts a call .

” ARPEL SECURITY
SYSTEMS 437-3317

e Free Estimate

GOVERNMENT

Western Canada Concept Leader
Doug Christie & Brian Westwood

SPEAK OUT ON CANADA’S
POLITICAL &
BUREAUCRATIC TYRANNY

ST. JOHNS’ CHURCH HALL

September 15/82 8:00 PM.

Sponsored by the Mosth Shore
Constituencies of the WCC Pasty of B.C.

B.C.’s Number
One Workout |

room meee

om

Drop in-‘2°class
St.Edmund’s Gym: din & Sanor

70:00 am i . : :
"Finage Frey
"Fitness Forgs
Fran Heath, eee
Brian Earle, 8 S<
Elll Werdenik,

va. San